On the morning of October 21, nearly 100 workers gathered at the gate of Nhat Hung Dung Quat Wood Processing Company Limited (Nhat Hung Dung Quat Company) in Binh Son District, Quang Ngai Province to demand wages owed by the company. Immediately after receiving the information, the Dung Quat Economic Zone and Quang Ngai Industrial Zones Trade Unions worked with the Company's Board of Directors and workers.
According to Mr. Pham Thai Duong - Chairman of the Trade Union of Dung Quat Economic Zone and Industrial Zones of Quang Ngai province, Nhat Hung Dung Quat Wood Processing Company Limited is owing 2 months of salary to nearly 170 workers (August and September 2024), with an amount of over 1.8 billion VND; owing insurance policies (as of October 2024) of over 1 billion VND. On October 16, the Company announced that it would temporarily stop working for its workers and would pay the salary arrears on October 18. However, the Company has not paid yet.
"After working with the authorities, the company informed that there are still orders for export, but currently facing temporary difficulties, so it has not paid the workers' salaries as committed," said Mr. Pham Thai Duong.
Speaking to a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, a worker at Nhat Hung Dung Quat Wood Processing Company Limited said: “I have been working at the company for 6 years. On October 16, 2024, the workers received a notice of termination because the company was facing difficulties. I have to raise 3 children who are still in school, so life is very difficult. Now the company owes me two months of salary, so my family has to borrow money to make ends meet.”
According to Mr. Pham Thai Duong, on the morning of October 21, after the authorities worked with the workers and the Board of Directors of Nhat Hung Dung Quat Wood Processing Company Limited, the company representative committed to paying the outstanding wages and insurance for the workers before October 31, 2024.
In addition to the above commitments of the enterprise, the Dung Quat Economic Zone and Quang Ngai Province Industrial Zones Trade Union requested the company to settle salaries as soon as possible to reassure workers and reduce some of their difficulties.
Mr. Pham Thai Duong said that the Dung Quat Economic Zone Trade Union and the province's Industrial Parks will continue to monitor the Company's recovery situation according to its commitment to ensure workers' rights.
