Companies find it difficult to recruit workers.
Talking to Lao Dong, Mr. Ho Minh Triet, Chairman of the Trade Union of Duc Thanh Import-Export Garment Company Limited (An Giang) said that the garment industry has recovered after a long period of difficulty. Orders have started to increase at the end of the year, the export market has also expanded, the company is in great need of skilled workers to meet production needs. However, at this time, recruitment is difficult, many local workers are no longer interested in the industry.
“Our company continues to recruit 400 more skilled workers from provinces and cities in the Western region to work with good salaries, bonuses and benefits. I hope this will be an opportunity for workers to earn more income to stabilize their lives, and at the same time contribute to improving the garment industry,” Mr. Triet informed.
NV Apparel Co., Ltd. (An Giang) is also struggling with a labor shortage for more than a year. Accordingly, the company set a target of recruiting 100 workers/month, but since the beginning of the year, it has only recruited about 500 workers. On average, 5-7 people/day come to the company to submit job applications. On the other hand, most of the workers applying for jobs are young, and are quite weak under pressure, so they tend to change jobs after 1-3 months of work.
“In the last 3 months of the year, orders have increased, the company is stepping up recruitment, currently needing about 150 people. We also prioritize local people with sewing skills, under 40 years old,” said Ms. Tru Thi Tuyet Vui, Head of the company's Human Resources Department.
This story of An Giang province is also the common situation of some other businesses in the Mekong Delta region. On the websites posting recruitment information, the garment industry still has a very high demand at this time.
Workers' thoughts
In fact, there are many reasons why workers are no longer interested in participating in the textile industry. Many workers confided to reporters that the salaries and benefits offered by businesses are still not attractive, while there is pressure to “run products” and the working environment is harsh.
As a garment worker who left Binh Duong to return to Can Tho to live, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Ngan (45 years old, Binh Thuy district) shared: “At first, the salary was very stable, I intended to stay long-term, but then I had to work on a piece-rate basis (meaning I get paid for the number of products I make), which made me feel stuck and tired. In addition, the working environment was also the main reason why I had to leave the garment industry, some unreasonable criticisms made me lose my working spirit.”
Mr. Nguyen Huu Tai (30 years old, An Giang province) said: “Dust from cotton, sewing fabric, noise, crowded factories... are potential risk factors for occupational diseases for garment workers. Sometimes, the disease itself makes it difficult to ask for leave because it affects the productivity of the entire sewing line.”
After giving birth, Ms. Nguyen Kieu Loan (Can Tho City) planned to find a job in Tra Noc Industrial Park (Binh Thuy District) to support her family. However, when asked about her intention to join the garment industry, Ms. Loan was quite hesitant: "Many friends told me about the negative side of the industry, I am still hesitant. I hope that companies will have many changes, especially in management, listening to the concerns of workers so that we can devote ourselves to our work, contributing to boosting the company's production."
According to the Confederation of Labor of provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region, enterprises need to proactively take many specific measures and methods to retain employees. In particular, it is necessary to pay attention to fully taking care of the legal rights and interests of employees regarding salary, bonuses, overtime regime, seniority allowances, etc.
