Reducing the regional minimum wage gap between adjacent communes and wards
In the process of collecting opinions on the draft regulation on regional LTT to serve as a basis for the Government to issue Decree 293/2025/ND-CP, the policy and law department of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation discovered that there was an unreasonable thing when many communes are adjacent to each other in Ho Chi Minh City but apply the LTT level far apart (zone I and zone III).
For example, Chau Duc and Kim Long communes apply the draft LTT level of VND4.14 million/month. These two communes are adjacent to Tan Thanh ward, and are subject to the LTT level of region I of 5.31 million VND/month. Similar to Ngai Giao and Nghia Thanh communes applying the LTT level of Region III, Chau Pha commune applies the LTT level of Region I; Con Dao special zone applies the LTT level of Region III bordering Vung Tau ward applies the LTT level of Region I; Long Hai commune, Long Dien commune applies the LTT level of Region III bordering Phuoc Thang ward.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation, the difference of 1.17 million VND (equivalent to 28.3%) in LTT between areas bordering communes, wards and special zones is too large, which can cause instability in labor relations.
Lao Dong Newspaper then took action and continuously reported. After that, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Home Affairs met with the functional agencies of Ho Chi Minh City and agreed to propose the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to recommend the Ministry of Home Affairs and functional agencies to include in the draft decree regulating the communes of Kim Long, Chau Duc, Ngai Giao, Nghia Thanh, Long Hai, Long Dien and Con Dao special zone in region II and enjoy the LTT level of 4.73 million VND/month, instead of region III receiving the LTT level of 4.14 million VND/month.
And as a result, Decree 293/2025/ND-CP has stipulated that the communes of Kim Long, Chau Duc, Ngai Giao, Nghia Thanh, Long Hai, Long Dien and Con Dao special zone in region II and enjoy the LTT level of 4.73 million VND/month.
With this regulation, tens of thousands of workers in enterprises in the above localities have benefited more, commented Mr. Nguyen Trung Ngan, Policy and Law Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation.
Employees working in arduous, toxic, and dangerous jobs are entitled to a minimum wage at least 5% higher than the minimum wage
In addition, Decree 293/2025/ND-CP also stipulates: For the agreed and committed contents in labor contracts, collective labor agreements or other legal agreements that are more beneficial to employees (such as the salary payment regime for employees working or the title required through study and vocational training at least 7% higher than the minimum wage and the salary payment regime for employees working in work or positions with arduous, toxic, or dangerous working conditions at least 5%; work or position with especially arduous, toxic, or dangerous working conditions at least 7% higher than the salary of the job or position with equivalent complexity, working in normal working conditions) than the provisions of this Decree, it shall continue to be implemented, except in other cases where there are agreements.
It is worth mentioning that in many previous drafts of the decree, the regulation: "Saulary payment regime for employees working or holding positions with arduous, toxic, or dangerous working conditions at least 5%" has not been mentioned.
Lao Dong Newspaper also reflected on this issue in its newspaper on September 22, 2025. And this reflection has also been noted in Decree 293/2025/ND-CP mentioned above.
Mr. Nguyen Trung Ngan said that the above provisions of Decree 293/2025/ND-CP have helped a large number of employees working or holding positions with arduous, toxic, and dangerous working conditions to enjoy LTT at least 5%, because this regulation is applied nationwide, not limited to some localities in Ho Chi Minh City.
