As a worker with more than 20 years of experience working in Hanoi, Mr. Nguyen Huu Hau said that his current basic salary is more than 14 million VND/month.
However, with living costs continuously increasing in recent years, from rent, food to children's tuition fees, this income is still not really abundant.
When the minimum wage increases, I hope businesses will adjust the basic wage so that workers have more income, enough to compensate for part of the increasingly expensive living costs," Mr. Hau shared.
According to Mr. Hau, the minimum wage adjustment not only has the meaning of increasing immediate income but also affects many long-term rights of workers. This is something that many workers are particularly concerned about in the context of life still facing many pressures.
Sharing the same wish, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen - a worker working at Thang Long Industrial Park (Hanoi) - said that if the regional minimum wage is adjusted to increase, not only salaries but also many allowances and subsidies will have the opportunity to be adjusted accordingly.
What workers want most is for real income to improve. When allowances and subsidies increase, life will be more stable, especially for families with young children or those who are renting houses," Ms. Huyen said.
Recently, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor proposed adjusting the minimum wage from January 1, 2027 with two options. In which, option 1 proposes an increase of 360,000-520,000 VND, corresponding to an average increase of 9.8% compared to 2026; option 2 increases from 350,000-450,000 VND, an average increase of 8.5%.
Assessing this proposal, Mr. Nguyen Huy Sang - Chairman of the Trade Union of Yamaha Motor Vietnam Parts Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - said that this is a very necessary and urgent proposal in the current context.
According to Mr. Sang, in recent years, the living costs of workers have continuously increased, from rent to food, tuition fees and other essential expenses.
Meanwhile, the income of many workers has not kept up with the rate of price increases, causing many families to tighten spending. The adjustment to increase the minimum wage will contribute to partially offsetting the price slippage, helping workers reduce financial pressure and stabilize their lives.
Mr. Sang also said that the minimum wage is the basis for businesses to build and adjust salary scales and tables, thereby creating a basis for raising the basic salary for employees.
When the basic salary increases, many benefits associated with salary are also improved, such as social insurance contributions and benefits, unemployment insurance, health insurance, as well as allowances and subsidies at businesses that are applying calculations based on the basic salary or minimum wage.
Increasing the minimum wage not only helps improve immediate income but also contributes to ensuring the long-term rights of workers through social security regimes. This is also a motivation for workers to feel secure in sticking with businesses, improving labor productivity and sharing difficulties with businesses in the development process," Mr. Sang emphasized.
