Labour shortages after Tet: a serious problem

Labour shortages after the Lunar New Year holiday remain a serious problem that Vietnamese businesses have faced for many years.

Severe labour shortage in the industrial and processing zones of Ho Chi Minh City are estimated at 30-35 percent, while each business in Binh Duong and Dong Nai lacks 200-400 workers.

According to the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), the sector’s labour shortages will reach 30 percent in 2011, up 10 percent compared to a year ealier, as most businesses have received large orders for the first quarter.

There are several reasons, one of which is low payment for workers, especially those who are working far from home. Against the backdrop of run-away inflation, they cannot afford enough to support their families.

For many businesses, they have no proper policies to ensure workers a steady job to gradually improve their living conditions, let alone to get them involved in the social activities.

Even some give workers bonuses but they are not attractive enough to bring them back to work after the Tet holiday. Other circumstantial measures still fail to keep them staying long on the job.

So, every business needs to develop long-term policies to ensure stable employment, with a focus on training and retraining workers to improve their skills and salaries.

On their part, local authorities should consider letting businesses set up factories in different localities to take advantage of local labourers and encourage businesses to invest in key industries that need skilled workers to keep supply and demand in balance.

In addition, businesses can work with labour centres to ensure employement after the Tet holiday.

Apart from such measures, major cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hai Phong are launching numerous projects to build houses and open more bus routes to industrial and processing zones to create better conditions for workers. – VOV

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