Ms. Ha Thi Huyen (born in 2002, from Nghe An) has been attached to the production line at a business in an industrial park for nearly 4 years.
She and her husband rented a rented room of less than 15m2 for 1.4 million VND/month in Hau Duong village, Thien Loc commune, Hanoi city. The rented room is simple, with pictures of young children hanging all over the wall - a motivation for the couple to try every day.
Ms. Huyen's basic salary is currently about 5.8 million VND/month. However, thanks to continuous overtime from 8 am to 8 pm, her income ranges from 15-16 million VND per month, including allowances such as attendance, raising young children, gasoline and rent.
Standing for 12 hours, my legs are weak at night, many days I don't want to take another step. But thinking about sending money back to my children in the countryside, my husband and I encourage each other to try our best" - Ms. Huyen shared.
Her husband also works in the same company, often working night shifts. Some weeks, the couple only meets a few times because of shift delays. Family meals are therefore rare, many days it's just a few hasty greetings before shift starts.
Overtime earns extra income, but you have to trade time, health and even family happiness. But when you are young and strong, the company has a lot of work, so take advantage of it to accumulate" - she said.
Not only Ms. Huyen, many young workers in industrial parks are also accepting working at high intensity in exchange for income sufficient to cover living expenses and accumulate for the future.
Mr. Nguyen Van Dung (28 years old, from Tuyen Quang), a worker at a nearby mechanical company, said that if only considering the basic salary, he receives about 6 million VND, but thanks to overtime, his income can reach 15 million VND.
Room rent, electricity, water, and food in Hanoi are expensive. If you don't work overtime, you can hardly save anything" - Mr. Dung said. His wife is in the countryside taking care of two young children, all living and schooling expenses of the children depend on his salary.
On weekends, when many people are resting, Mr. Dung still registers to work overtime. "It's really tiring to be tired, but looking at the account having a few more million, I feel more secure" - he smiled forcedly.
According to many workers, the income level of 15-16 million VND/month sounds high compared to the general level, but in reality, it is mostly overtime pay. If businesses have few orders or cut overtime, income immediately decreases sharply.
For Ms. Huyen, the biggest goal is to raise a small amount of capital to return to her hometown in the next few years to open a grocery store or small business. "I cannot wander away forever. Buying a house in Hanoi, including social housing, is very difficult for workers like us," she confided.
The story of young workers like Ms. Huyen reflects a reality: overtime helps improve immediate income, but comes with pressure on health, spiritual life and long-term instability.
In cramped rented rooms, many workers are still saving every penny, nurturing the hope that one day they can return to their hometown with a little capital and a more stable life.
