Help workers have money for medical treatment
For the past 6 months, every month, Ms. T.T.S.K (Khmer ethnic minority, from Tra Vinh) - a worker at Lac Ty Company (Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City) has regularly received 1 million VND per month for medical treatment supported by Tuoi Mart Trading and Investment Company Limited through the Binh Tan District Labor Federation.
Ms. T.T.S.K said that in April 2023, she felt something unusual in her body and went to the doctor. The doctor concluded that she had breast cancer and would have to spend a lot of money on treatment. "When I found out I had a serious illness, I was very worried because my husband and I only had a monthly income of about 15 million VND, and we had to raise a small child in the countryside and rent a house to live. We didn't know where to get money for treatment," Ms. T.T.S.K shared.
Understanding her situation, the Lac Ty Company's Trade Union mobilized the company's employees to contribute nearly 110 million VND to help Ms. T.T.S.K with her treatment. In addition, the Lac Ty Company's Trade Union also requested the Binh Tan District Labor Federation to include Ms. T.T.S.K in the list of Tuoi Mart Trading and Investment Company Limited to support 1 million VND per month for 1 year (from May 2024) for her treatment. Sharing with us, Ms. T.T.S.K emotionally said: "Thanks to the Trade Union, I have been able to feel secure in my treatment all this time."
Include benefits in collective bargaining agreements
A noteworthy point in trade union activities in Ho Chi Minh City is that many grassroots trade unions have used collective bargaining to include benefits for union members and employees in collective labor agreements.
Mr. Truong Hoang Tam - Chairman of the Trade Union of Printing Joint Stock Company No. 7 - said that the company's Collective Labor Agreement for the period 2023 - 2025 has stipulated: Meal allowance for employees is 45,000 VND/person/day, allowance of 300,000 VND/month for female employees raising children from 7 months to 5 years old, allowance of 1 million VND/month for female employees on maternity leave; Employees who go to school and graduate from high school are rewarded by the company with 3 million VND; university graduates are rewarded with 6 million VND...
At Schneider Electric Manufacturing Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park), the company's Collective Labor Agreement stipulates that when a male worker's wife gives birth, in addition to the days off prescribed by the Law on Social Insurance, he is entitled to an additional 24 days off with full pay within 4 months from the date of his wife's birth to take care of the child and family.
In addition, employees in the direct production sector have 12 days off per year, office employees have 10 days off per year to take care of relatives; employees whose parents, spouses, or children pass away are entitled to 5 days off for the office sector and 6 days off for the direct production sector.
At Kim Hang Aluminum and Plastic Joint Stock Company (District 8, Ho Chi Minh City), the company's Collective Labor Agreement stipulates that employees are entitled to a 13th month salary, a bonus for technological innovations and improvements of 10% - over 20% of the value obtained from innovations and improvements, and 20% - over 50% of the value of saved materials (depending on the evaluation efficiency); during the time off work due to lack of orders or power outages, employees are entitled to 100% of their salary; the company provides hardship allowances for employees facing sudden difficulties: 500,000 VND to over 3 million VND/person/time.
Ms. Dao Thi Kieu Giang - a member of the Trade Union of Phung Nguyen Garment Company Limited (Thanh Binh District, Dong Thap Province) - said: "The Trade Union supported 1 million VND. The amount of support is not large, but it somehow helps me feel the warmth and affection of the Trade Union organization."
