Salary increase expectation
Working at a seafood processing enterprise in Cai Rang ward, Can Tho city, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc (27 years old) said that her current basic salary is 4.41 million VND/month, equivalent to the regional minimum wage level II currently applied in the area.
If she does enough work, overtime and plus allowances, her monthly income ranges from 8-9 million VND.
According to Ms. Ngoc, the current income level still helps the family maintain life but there is not much room to accumulate. Expenses such as rent, electricity, water, food and childcare are increasing, causing many workers to carefully consider spending.
The minimum wage has been adjusted, but living costs have also increased accordingly. After deducting fixed expenses, the remaining amount is not much. I hope the State will continue to consider increasing the minimum wage so that workers can reduce the pressure of life" - Ms. Ngoc shared.
Similarly, Mr. Tran Minh Tam (24 years old) - a mechanical worker in Binh Thuy ward - said that thanks to overtime work, the actual income each month reaches about 9 million VND.
As a young worker who has just started a family, Mr. Tam believes that current income is only enough to meet daily living needs. Saving up for the future is still a difficult problem.
Rent, travel, and food costs are all increasing. If there is more savings to take care of the future, it will be quite difficult. I expect the minimum wage to continue to be adjusted to suit the reality of workers' lives" - Mr. Tam said.
Need to move towards a living wage
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, in the past nearly 10 years (2016-2024), the minimum wage has been adjusted at an average rate of 5.96% per year. Meanwhile, the average salary of paid workers has increased by an average of 6.57% per year.
Discussing this issue, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Huong - former Director of the Institute of Labor Science and Social Affairs (Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, now the Ministry of Home Affairs) - said that the minimum wage is the lowest level paid to workers working in normal conditions. However, Vietnam's current approach to the minimum wage still has certain limitations.
According to Ms. Huong, Vietnam currently does not have a separate law on the minimum wage, so the adjustment is mainly based on the annual proposal of the National Wage Council. The consideration bases often focus on the consumer price index and economic growth, while not fully assessing the impact of the minimum wage increase on labor costs as well as the labor supply and demand correlation in the market.
Ms. Huong believes that in the long term, the minimum wage needs to aim for a living wage, capable of meeting the basic needs of workers and their families such as food, accommodation, travel, health care, education and other essential needs. At the same time, this wage level also needs to be adjusted to suit the economic development speed of the country.
Exchanging at the press conference to inform about the results of the 14th Vietnam Trade Union Congress, Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor Ngo Duy Hieu said that the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor is preparing to organize seminars after the Trade Union Congress, based on the newly conducted survey results related to the minimum wage.
According to Mr. Hieu, the adjustment of the minimum wage needs to be considered carefully and comprehensively, based on the socio-economic picture, and at the same time considering the endurance of businesses in the context of the world economy still facing many fluctuations.
From there, the Trade Union organization will continue to research and propose appropriate plans to contribute to building harmonious, stable, and progressive labor relations, while ensuring the role of representing and protecting the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of workers.
