Thanh Hoa shoe workers strike against company's poor treatment
Nearly 6,000 workers at the Venus Vietnam Shoe Company in the northern central province of Thanh Hoa went on strike on Monday to ask for better treatment and policies.
The strike started right at the morning working hours at 7 am when hundreds of workers gathered at the gate of the company and voiced their demands. The strike soon attracted thousands of other workers who walked out to join the protest.
According to the workers, they objected to the company's parking ban announced a day earlier which said the parking area would be turned into a restaurant and workers must find a place outside the company to park their vehicles.
"Although the company said they would provide VND50,000 (USD2.20) each a month to pay for parking fees, but we don't agree because the factories are very far from parking lots outside and this would affect our working hours," a worker explained.
Besides the parking problems, the workers also demanded the company to ensure other legitimate rights including providing enough drinking water, increasing meal allowances for workers doing overtime, upgrading the seriously deteriorating canteen, and ensuring unemployment benefits.
"We have to give three days notice if we want to ask for a sick leave," another worker said. "We often have to work three to four extra hours until 9-10pm but are not provided with an additional meal. And when the company lacks of work, they ask us to stay home and then deduct the days from our annual leave."
The workers also demanded that the company makes sure that managers will not abuse and insult their staff.
A provincial union official Le Van Giang had been sent to work with the company and workers.
Nearly 6,000 workers at the Venus Vietnam Shoe Company gathered at the company's headquarters in Thanh Hoa Province to ask for better treatment and policies on October 2.
The strike started right at the morning working hours at 7 am when hundreds of workers gathered at the gate of the company and voiced their demands. The strike soon attracted thousands of other workers who walked out to join the protest.
According to the workers, they objected to the company's parking ban announced a day earlier which said the parking area would be turned into a restaurant and workers must find a place outside the company to park their vehicles.
"Although the company said they would provide VND50,000 (USD2.20) each a month to pay for parking fees, but we don't agree because the factories are very far from parking lots outside and this would affect our working hours," a worker explained.
Besides the parking problems, the workers also demanded the company to ensure other legitimate rights including providing enough drinking water, increasing meal allowances for workers doing overtime, upgrading the seriously deteriorating canteen, and ensuring unemployment benefits.
"We have to give three days notice if we want to ask for a sick leave," another worker said. "We often have to work three to four extra hours until 9-10pm but are not provided with an additional meal. And when the company lacks of work, they ask us to stay home and then deduct the days from our annual leave."
The workers also demanded that the company makes sure that managers will not abuse and insult their staff.
A provincial union official Le Van Giang had been sent to work with the company and workers.
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