Workers have no money for food or school fees for their children.
As of September 29, hundreds of workers at Hoang Sinh Import-Export Joint Stock Company (abbreviated as Hoang Sinh Company, manufacturing exported wooden furniture, factory in Thu Dau Mot City, Binh Duong) have not yet received their salaries for July, August, and September 2024. With their salaries being unpaid for a long time, many workers' families are sitting on hot coals because there are many payments to be made at the beginning of next month.
Among the workers’ families facing difficulties is the family of To Thi Phuong (54 years old, from Bac Lieu). Both Phuong and her husband work for Hoang Sinh Company and are owed wages. The family of 5 has to live in rented accommodation, with many expenses.
“Last time, the company owed us 4 months, we paid half, and still owed July and August 2024. This time, the company owes us another 3 months, September 2024. The whole family depends on our meager salary to make ends meet, and now the company owes us another salary, making it even more difficult for us,” Ms. Phuong sadly shared.
Ms. Phuong added that her eldest son died in an accident and her daughter-in-law remarried. She and her husband currently have to raise two grandchildren (one in grade 1 and one in grade 4) and a son in grade 10. Because the company owes her salary, she owes the landlord money and does not have enough money to pay for the children's school fees at the beginning of the year.
According to the latest announcement, Hoang Sinh Company promised to pay workers on October 15. Regarding the prolonged salary arrears, Hoang Sinh Company's Board of Directors cited the reason that the collection of money from orders was slower than expected; the loan application for investment was in the finalization stage so it had not been disbursed yet.
The Binh Duong Provincial Federation of Labor said it has sent officials to coordinate with relevant agencies to continue handling the case. The Trade Union continues to closely monitor to protect the rights of workers at this enterprise.
Union supports workers
In Binh Phuoc, in recent months, about 300 workers of Signature Home Furnishings Company Limited (wooden furniture manufacturing, Chon Thanh 1 Industrial Park, Thanh Tam Ward, Chon Thanh Town) have also faced difficulties because they lost their jobs, the company owed wages, and owed social insurance.
According to the workers, in mid-July 2024, the company suddenly announced that the workers would be laid off. It is worth noting that before the workers were laid off, the company still owed the workers salaries as well as insurance. To date, after more than 2 months, the above benefits have not been paid.
Mr. Lam Thanh Loi - a worker at the company - said: “My husband and I are from Soc Trang, and have been working for the company since 2020. Before, everything went smoothly and we received our full salaries. However, from June to mid-July 2024, the workers worked but the company did not pay them. When people asked, they suddenly received a notice of sudden dismissal, followed by the company closing, causing all the workers to panic because they lost their jobs. In addition, the whereabouts of the business owner are unknown.”
In the same situation, Ms. Cap Thi Thuan shared: “I am over 45 years old this year. For more than 2 months, I have been applying for jobs everywhere but no company has accepted me. I hope the employer will soon pay me my full salary and insurance so that I can cover my living expenses.”
Binh Phuoc Province Employment Service Center said that the center is currently coordinating with the industrial park trade unions to support unemployment insurance registration procedures for workers, starting from July 10 (at this time, the Department of Planning and Investment confirmed that Signature Home Furnishings LLC does not have a legal representative. The confirmation from the Department of Planning and Investment will serve as a basis for terminating the labor contract).
In addition, the Provincial Employment Service Center also introduces jobs for workers at this company to other businesses in the same sofa manufacturing industry in the neighboring area.
