Workers at an auto spare parts in Quang Minh Industrial Park of Mê Linh District, Hanoi.

The meeting, which is scheduled to take place in the southern province of Đồng Nai tomorrow morning, offers a chance for the Prime Minister to listen to 3,000 labourers in eight provinces and cities in the southeast region. The issues to be discussed concern workers not only in the South, but also those all over the country such as wages, residence and training. The event is part of a national commemoration to mark the 130th anniversary of May Day and “Workers’ Month 2016” organised by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour.

A recent report in the Nông Thôn Ngày Nay (Countryside Today) newspaper showed that on the weekend workers who live far from home at industrial parks, ages 18 to 30, stay in their rented rooms to surf the internet or take a rest after a hard working week. There is a shortage of entertainment activities for them.

Bùi Văn Quý, 25, from the northern province of Hải Dương, nworks for Sumidenso Vietnam Ltd Company. Quý said he and his wife have to take extra shifts on weekends to earn enough money to raise their child. In the evening, they are too tired so they go to sleep after finishing everything.

“Workers here have poor spiritual lives,” he said.

Nguyễn Thị Hân from Thái Bình Province told Nông Thôn Ngày Nay that she has to work from 7pm to 7am the next morning at Thăng Long Industrial Park in Hanoi. She has no time to go out, and can only go back to her hometown to visit family during long holidays.

Vũ Thị T, 29, who works for KaiYang Ltd Company in Hải Phòng, said the amount of work she has to finish every month is too large. She has to work 10 hours per day without any breaks.

“We simply want nothing more than to be paid for the work we have done,” she said.

According to Đào Ngọc Dung, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, increasing workers’ wages is an area the ministry and the Government are concerned about.

Too many questions are raised, such as how to harmonise benefits of both enterprises and workers, he said.

Nguyễn Thị Mai Lan from Hanoi’s Gia Lâm District said that she and other workers face difficulties in sending their children to kindergarten. She added that she hoped labour unions and other groups would help workers get their children vaccinations and an education.