At the age of 53, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet - a garment worker in Nam Dinh did not dare to quit her job despite being quite tired.
"I have been with the company for more than 10 years, so I have been given priority to keep it, the company does not recruit people over 50 years old. If I quit my job now and found a job with the same salary, it would be almost impossible, said Ms. Tuyet.
Discussing the hardships in the work process, the female worker said that she is a middle-aged worker but often has to hold heavy goods, "exchange goods" and has no time to rest. The company also requires overtime until 7:30 pm, making her even more tired.
Ms. Tuyet said that every time she returned home, her body was leaking and she didn't mind doing anything, just wanting to go to bed and fall asleep. Also because of her old age and frequent overtime, the female worker continuously suffered from headaches, joint pain and low blood pressure.
Many garment companies only recruit workers until the age of 45 even though they are skilled, wherever they are over the age of 45, the recruiters are still shaking their heads. Other jobs are easier but the income is not much, it is very difficult to ensure a living" - Ms. Tuyet said.
Ms. Tuyet said that a friend of hers quit her job last year, went to several companies but had not yet found a job. There are candidates for light positions such as solving the problem and cooking before they can apply.
Another reason why Ms. Tuyet is afraid to quit her job is that she has to re-pay social insurance at a low level, only a little higher than the regional minimum wage if she moves to a new company. According to the female worker, this will affect pension and unemployment benefits later.
Sharing more, Ms. Tuyet said that working for a company is hard and tiring, but in return, she has stability and social insurance. When she gets old, without a pension or reserve income, the female worker worries that she may become a burden to her children.
Therefore, despite the hardships, Ms. Tuyet shared that she still tried to stay with her current company for at least 2 more years. At that time, Ms. Tuyet said she had accumulated some capital and at the same time felt secure in quitting her job waiting until she received her pension.
In the same situation, Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong (46 years old) - a leather shoe worker said that she currently has to work from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm. When I get home, I just have to clean my body, eat and sleep, and can't go anywhere.
Sharing about her work, Ms. Phuong said that the company has cut staff, she alone runs the entire machine while there were only 2 people before. Not only that, Ms. Phuong also has to work as a store owner - a job that someone else had previously helped with.
Every time she takes a break in the middle of her shift, Ms. Phuong takes a break of 45 minutes, but she only dares to eat, rest for about 30 minutes and then go back to work. Going to the toilet must also be minimized to take advantage of working time, avoiding congestion.
Although she really wants to quit her job, Ms. Phuong shared that around her living area, other leather shoe companies also have a similar environment and working hours. If he leaves for a new company, he will lose all his seniority and his income will be even lower than at present.
Ms. Phuong also thought about another job conversion plan but it was not feasible. With textile and garment work, her age is not accepted by any other place. For other jobs such as picking and dropping ends, Ms. Phuong's income is extremely low.
Sharing about her wishes, Ms. Phuong said she hopes the State will soon adjust the regional minimum wage and clearly stipulate working hours.
"The minimum wage in the highlands will help me ensure my salary, feeling more worthy of the effort. At the same time, if there is only a maximum of 1.5 hours of overtime per day, workers will have less difficulty at work, return home without feeling too tired, and feel secure to stay for a long time" - Ms. Phuong said.
