Increase wages, increase workers' rights
Since the beginning of February 2025, Kiara Garments Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Ninh Binh) has increased the basic salary for employees. Accordingly, the basic salary of employees working at the company was adjusted to increase from VND 4,662,525 to VND 5,100.690 (up 9.4%). Thus, the company is currently paying a basic salary higher than the regional minimum wage.
Ms. Pham Thi Hien (34 years old) - a garment worker at this company shared that the company often has regulations to increase salaries early for employees. Basic salary is adjusted to increase, workers' rights are better guaranteed when sick leave, social insurance payment level... are also adjusted.
"I hope the State will adjust the regional minimum wage increase in the coming period so that workers can spend more comfortably in the context of rising prices," said Ms. Hien.
Ms. Pham Thi Thuong - a leather shoe worker in (Ninh Binh) said that the proposed increase of 7.2% is quite appropriate and needs to be increased soon for workers.
"Compared to market prices, rice prices, food prices, electricity prices... all increased, even increased, while the regional minimum wage increased by only 6% after 2 years (from 2022 - 2024) which is quite disadvantageous for workers. After 8 years of working, the basic salary increased from more than 3.1 million VND to nearly 4.5 million VND," said Ms. Thuong.
According to the female worker, the current regional minimum wage is not commensurate with market prices. If I work only to receive a basic salary and allowances, it will be difficult to ensure my life.
Ready to increase wages for workers
According to Mr. Le Minh Chung - General Director of Faster Household Equipment Company, specializing in high-end household appliances in Thanh Xuan Ward (Hanoi), the company currently has nearly 80 employees, of which 2/3 are direct employees, sales staff, this group will base on the regional minimum wage to pay salaries and calculate other benefits.
My company is in region 1, the current regional minimum wage is 4,960,000 VND, in fact, the company is calculating the minimum wage at 5,500,000 VND. Each year, the company's management board agreed to allocate resources to ensure salary increases equivalent to the regional minimum wage increase rate. With the current number of employees, if the 7.2% increase as approved by the National Wage Council is applied, the company will spend an additional 80 million VND per month. Despite the difficulties, we are ready to increase salaries to encourage workers, said Mr. Chung.
Sharing the same view, Mr. Bui Van Tung - Director of Mac Tung Trang Garment Company (My Duc Commune, Hanoi) said that his company has 60 workers, currently applying the minimum wage of zone 2 of 4,410,000 VND.
It was not until we learned the final results of the proposal to increase the regional minimum wage by 7.2% from January 1, 2026 that our company prepared for the salary increase. We always prepare to increase wages for workers in accordance with the approved increase. No matter what, for the company, the salary increase is difficult, but we think more about the difficulties of workers. If you increase your salary, each family will have more money to cover living expenses, children's education... so no matter how difficult it is, it will increase," said Mr. Tung.
Basically meeting the expectations of workers
On July 13, speaking with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thang - Deputy Head of the Trade Union Working Committee in charge of Hanoi Industrial Park said that the 7.2% increase and CPI are only for the grassroots trade union executive committee to refer to in negotiations with employers. Propose that the Government and Hanoi City have more solutions to control prices and stabilize prices. If prices, especially essential goods, increase by 7.2%, then the salary increase of 7.2% will not be meaningful.
