Receive a higher regional minimum wage
Recently, the Government issued Decree 293/2025/ND-CP (effective from January 1, 2026) stipulating the minimum wage (MW) for workers (workers) working under labor contracts, which stipulates that Kim Long, Chau Duc, Ngai Giao, Nghia Thanh, Long Hai, Long Dien communes and Con Dao special zone belonging to region II, with a MW of 4.73 million VND/month, instead of the MW of 4.14 million VND/month as in previous drafts of the decree. With the regulations in Decree 293/2025/ND-CP, tens of thousands of workers have benefited from the discovery of the policy and legal department of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation and the reflection of Lao Dong Newspaper.
One of the roles and functions of the Vietnam Trade Union organization is to protect the rights of workers early and remotely through building, contributing opinions, and criticizing legal regulations right from the time these regulations are issued for comments.
Mr. Nguyen Trung Ngan, Member of the Standing Committee, Deputy Head of Task Force No. 6 of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation, former official of the Policy - Law Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation, recalled: after implementing the merger of Binh Duong, Ba Ria - Vung Tau provinces with Ho Chi Minh City and implementing the two-level local government model, Ho Chi Minh City only had 168 communes, wards, and special zones.
The "crossing" of LTT zoning from the old district level to the new commune level leads to some communes, wards, and special zones of Ho Chi Minh City in the same working space but belonging to two different LTT zones and being separated by two sub-zones.In which, Kim Long, Chau Duc, Ngai Giao, Nghia Thanh, Long Hai, Long Dien communes and Con Dao special zone are drafted to stipulate a regional LTT level of region III of 4.14 million VND, the difference with regional LTT of region I (5.31 million VND) of adjacent wards and communes is up to 1.17 million VND, equivalent to more than 28%.This is one of the inadequacies that may cause complications in labor relations, affecting security and order in the area as has happened before.
From that reality, the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation has sent documents to functional agencies to analyze the situation and propose functional agencies of Ho Chi Minh City to propose to competent authorities to adjust LTT in Kim Long, Chau Duc, Ngai Giao, Nghia Thanh, Long Hai
Before the reasonable and emotional analysis from the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation and the reflection of Lao Dong Newspaper, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Home Affairs met with functional sectors of Ho Chi Minh City, and at the same time took opinions from the local authorities mentioned above and reached an agreement to propose to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to propose to the Ministry of Home Affairs and functional sectors to include in the draft decree regulations stipulating Kim Long, Chau Duc, Ngai Giao, Nghia Thanh, Long Hai, Long Dien communes and Con Dao special zone belonging to region II and enjoying a minimum wage of 4.73 million VND/month. The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee then also proposed to the Ministry of Home Affairs and functional sectors according to proposals from city agencies. As a result, Decree 293/2025/ND-CP stipulated Kim Long, Chau Duc, Ngai Giao, Nghia Thanh, Long Hai, Long Dien and Con Dao special zone belonging to region II and enjoying a minimum wage of 4.73 million VND/month.
With the regulations in Decree 293/2025/ND-CP, tens of thousands of workers in businesses in the above localities have enjoyed higher-lying minimum wages," Mr. Nguyen Trung Ngan commented.
It is necessary to develop a team of trade union officials who are good at law, have skills in analysis and negotiation.
Not only that, the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation is also one of the units that promptly discovered regulations on salaries for heavy, hazardous, dangerous jobs and particularly heavy, hazardous, dangerous jobs that have not been included in the draft Decree when seeking opinions. The Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation also promptly reported in writing to the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor requesting a proposal to maintain the salary for heavy, hazardous, and dangerous jobs at least 5% more than the normal job salary and the salary for particularly heavy, hazardous, and dangerous jobs at least 7% more than the normal job salary. This proposal has been received by functional ministries and sectors and submitted to the Government for regulation in Decree 293/2025/ND-CP and has helped millions of workers across the country doing heavy, hazardous, and dangerous jobs and particularly heavy, hazardous, and dangerous jobs to continue to enjoy this salary policy.
Mr. Le Van Hoa - Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation - shared: Through this specific case, it can be affirmed that when the trade union proactively detects problems from practice, promptly advises and closely coordinates with the government and related parties, and at the same time properly performs the role and function of protecting the rights of workers from early and remotely through building, contributing opinions, and criticizing the provisions of law, the rights of workers are guaranteed and contribute to maintaining stable labor relations.
Also from the above practice, Mr. Hoa believes that, to better protect the rights of employees, it is necessary to strengthen the role of trade union officials, grassroots trade unions, industrial park trade unions, legal advice centers, and hotlines to promptly collect data on salaries, income, living expenses, and labor fluctuations. At the same time, it is necessary to enhance the role and social criticism function of trade union organizations by fully and proactively participating in comments on draft legal regulations, especially documents directly and intimately related to salaries, social insurance, and employees' jobs.
In particular, it is necessary to build and develop a team of trade union officials who not only firmly grasp and are proficient in labor law but also have knowledge of economy, society, business finance, and skills in negotiation, analysis, and data use to contribute opinions to improve policies.
