1,600 strikers at Korean-owned firm in Vietnam return to work after dispute resolution
1,600 strikers at Korean-owned firm in Vietnam return to work after dispute resolution
About 1,600 workers of KD Sports Vietnam Company Limited in Bac Giang Province, northern Vietnam who went on strike for several days have returned to work from Monday morning after their demands, including a pay raise, were met, according to a local labor official.
This supplied image shows a meeting between the parties involved in the strike of approximately 1,600 workers from KD Sports Vietnam Company Limited in Bac Giang Province, northern Vietnam, aimed at reaching a mutual agreement between the company’s management and the strikers. |
The company, located in the province’s Hiep Hoa District, is a 100-percent South Korean-invested garment maker running three workshops with a total workforce of 1,650 workers, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
Chairman of the Hiep Hoa Labor Federation, Ngo Quang Tuan, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that all the strikers have returned to work after reaching a mutual agreement with the company's management on wages, allowances, and other issues.
The company addressed all the workers' demands, including a basic wage increase of VND250,000 (US$10) per month -- VND30,000 ($1.2) higher than previously announced -- effective from July, along with other benefits, Tuan said.
On August 1, around 600 workers at one of the company’s factories walked off the job at 8:00 am, and within two hours, that number had risen to about 1,600.
The strike was prompted by the workers' dissatisfaction with the company’s latest announcement regarding the basic salary increase, meal allowance, and compensation for heavy, toxic, and dangerous work.
For instance, the firm had initially announced a basic wage hike of VND220,000 ($8.8) per month, which fell short of the workers' expectations.
In response to the strike, the Hiep Hoa Labor Federation reached out to the company’s trade union officials and workers, providing information on labor laws.
The federation also instructed the grassroots trade union to enhance dialogue and negotiations with the company’s management to resolve the disputes quickly.
