More than 1,600 workers of the KD Sports Vietnam Company in Bac Giang Province have gone on strike demanding a pay rise on March 31.
According to the workers, they want VND 300,000 (USD 13) more per month as the company has failed to increase wages over the past two years.
Speaking to the media, chairman of the Hiep Hoa District Trade Union Federation, Ngo Quang Tuan, said that the workers sent a letter to the company's management board on March 11 with three proposals. They demanded a salary increase of VND300,000 per month; a bonus of VND100,000 for the Hung Kings' holiday; and that Covid-19-infected workers are guaranteed the same annual allowances as other workers.
"However, the workers received no feedback from management and they had stopped work since March 30 to protest against this delay," Tuan said. "We came to work with the company's managers and workers on March 31. At the meeting with the local trade union federation and worker representatives, the management board replied that they would offer an increase VND 230,000 per worker per month, a bonus of VND100,000 per worker on the Hung Kings' holiday, and 50 percent allowance for Covid-19-infected workers."
The official said that the workers rejected the company's offer. Many of them have continued to stop work.
"We returned to the company on the morning of April 1 to work with both sides to try to help them reach an agreement," he said. “The management board and the workers finally agreed on an increase VND 230,000 per worker per month, a bonus of VND100,000 per worker on the Hung Kings' holiday, and a full allowance for Covid-19-infected workers. And workers have returned to work on the afternoon of April 1."
KD Sports Vietnam is a South Korean garment company based in Hiep Hoa District, Bac Giang Province. The company employs 1,664 workers and pays an average VND3.9 million (USD169) per month.