In recent days, Mr. Truong Dinh Long - a worker working as a security guard at Kim Dong Primary School (Ea Knop commune, Dak Lak province) - could not help but feel uneasy when hearing the news that his salary could be sharply reduced due to the locality adjusting the 2026 financial plan.
According to Mr. Long, from 2025, he signed an indefinite-term labor contract with the school. In this year, the local budget allocated nearly 110 million VND/year to pay salaries and compulsory insurance for contract workers according to Decree 111 at the school. Currently, he receives a salary of 6.4 million VND/month, which is relatively enough to cover the minimum living expenses.
By February 2026, Mr. Long is eligible to increase his salary from level 7 to level 8, meaning the budget payroll must increase compared to the previous year. However, at the beginning of 2026, Ea Knop Commune People's Committee issued a decision to only allocate 60 million VND/year for each contract worker under Decree 111 performing security duties at schools.
With this allocation level, Mr. Long's salary is expected to be only about 3.6 million VND/month, a decrease of more than 40% compared to 2025. The sharp decrease in income has caused his and his family's lives to face many difficulties.
According to research, the school has worked and mobilized Mr. Long to re-sign the contract and accept the salary according to the new decision of the Commune People's Committee. However, he has not agreed because he believes that this salary level does not guarantee life.
Some opinions believe that the rigid application of spending levels according to Decree 111 is not flexible according to actual conditions and is not suitable for the circumstances of workers in the locality.
Income was already low, now it is cut by more than 40%. I hope that competent authorities will consider and adjust it appropriately to ensure the legitimate rights of workers" - Mr. Long expressed.
Kim Dong Primary School currently has 19 official staff members, of which only one case signed a contract according to Decree 111 is Mr. Truong Dinh Long.
Mr. Long's reflection and petition to protect his rights are considered legitimate, because he has worked at the school for more than 10 years and has always completed his tasks.
Previously, the school built a salary estimate for security guards according to the regulation of increasing salaries once every 2 years, and at the same time provided additional support from regular expenditures. However, in 2026, the Commune People's Committee only balanced and allocated 60 million VND/year for the security guard position. Although wishing to ensure the rights of employees, the school is still waiting for an official decision from competent authorities.
Meanwhile, Mr. Le Anh Vu - Chairman of Ea Knop Commune People's Committee - said that the adjustment to reduce the salary of security guards at Kim Dong Elementary School in 2026 is in accordance with current regulations; The Commune People's Committee has worked and exchanged with the school and workers on this issue.
According to records, in 2026, many other localities in Dak Lak still find ways to maintain or adjust salary increases for workers signing contracts under Decree 111 to stabilize workers' lives. For example, in M'Drak commune - an area with many difficulties - in 2026, the salary level for employees under Decree 111 will still be equal to or higher than in 2025.
