A wage dispute between Vietnamese workers and a Chinese contractor in Algeria has ended in accusations of brutality by the company.
A group of 55 Vietnamese workers were brought to work in Algeria by the SIMCO Song Da Company. In Algeria, they were hired to work for Chinese contractor in Khenchela City in June.
Calling from Algeria, the workers said the contractor cut their wages so they gone on strike. However, the contractor used Chinese workers to attack Vietnamese workers. The representative of SIMCO Song Da Co. was also beaten.
A worker beaten in Algeria
The contractor stopped providing meals and electricity to the Vietnamese workers.
On October 6, Do Van Hai from SIMCO Song Da Co. confirmed that at least three Vietnamese workers had been injured in Algeria.
According to Hai, the Chinese contractor accused some Vietnamese workers of laziness. The initial contract was for USD550-650 a month. Due to disputes over productivity, the employer set daily targets. The contractor then offered USD1.9 per square metre, without meals and USD1.6 per square metre with meals.
Many workers thought that the wages had been cut without their consent and went on a three-day strike. The contractor then supposedly encouraged Chinese workers into a fight with Vietnamese workers on September 16.
Workers' relatives waiting for information at SIMCO Song Da Company
Hai said after working with Chinese contractors on September 24, they were guaranteed that three injured workers would receive the flights back to Vietnam subsidised, while other workers have been transferred to work on other construction sites.
Deputy head of the Overseas Workers Management Department Pham Viet Huong said, "It's regrettable and a financial loss to the workers if they return home based on their first wage disagreement."
30 workers have agreed to the new wage calculation. Huong said they would help the workers if they still want to return to Vietnam.