In the first days of the new school year, the atmosphere in the Industrial Park on the banks of the Da River, Phu Tho province became more bustling. The sound of school drums also means that many workers have less worries about taking care of their children during the summer vacation.
However, that joy comes with another pressure, which is how to arrange time to take their children to school when the factory work still takes them to film overtime.
Ms. Phan Thi Ngoc Tu - a worker at R Vietnam Technical Research Company Limited, shared that in the summer months, she and her husband had to send their children to their grandparents in the countryside, both away from home and costly for travel.
"Now that my child is in the school year, I feel more secure. But the new difficulty is that we often work late at night and start work early in the morning, picking up and dropping off our children becomes a burden," Ms. Tu shared.
According to Ms. Tu, the couple's working hours are completely off schedule. The older child is in grade 5, sometimes parents have to ask acquaintances to pick them up late from work, not to mention the extra classes make it even more difficult for the family to manage.
Sharing the same concern, Ms. Ngo Thi Huong - a worker at GGS Vietnam Co., Ltd., said that her family has two young children, one in primary school, the other in preschool.
Every morning, the couple has to take their children to school and rush into work. In the afternoon, she often asks to leave early to pick up her child, but it is not always smooth.
"There were days when I had to ask my neighbors for help with late overtime. Although I want my child to come home early to eat and move around on time, the nature of my job forces my husband and I to often work overtime. If you earn more money, you can do it for free, so sometimes you have to accept it," she confided.
According to the reporter's research, currently, in some industrial parks in Phu Tho, there are facilities that accept early childcare and late payment outside of office hours, parents only need to pay a few hundred thousand VND/month. However, not everyone has such a condition.
Talking to reporters, Mr. Tong Duc Chien - Member of the Standing Committee of the Phu Tho Provincial Labor Federation said: "Showing and picking up and dropping off children in the new school year is a very practical concern for workers. The Provincial Trade Union is researching and proposing coordination models between businesses, schools and authorities to have appropriate support solutions".
According to Mr. Chien, grassroots trade unions at enterprises also play an important role in grasping the thoughts and aspirations of workers to promptly propose appropriate solutions.
In fact, many businesses stipulate overtime from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., but thanks to the proposal of the union, female workers with young children are allowed to register for overtime until 6:00 p.m.
This flexible approach not only helps workers earn more income but also ensures time to pick up and drop off their children, reducing the burden of daily life.
