HCM City (VNS/VNA) - The minimum wage is too low for workers tosurvive on while social housing is inadequate and too expensive for them, tradeunions told Ho Chi Minh City’s leaders at a recent meeting.

The more than 300 trade union leaders who were in attendanceraised the issue of social housing for workers, lamenting that the number ofhouses is very low while their prices are high.

According to them, in the past when any construction or forestryunit was established, houses for workers and kindergartens for their childrenwere built immediately.

But now industrial and processing zones attract tens of thousandsof workers but there is no housing for them, and they have to rent ramshackledormitories.

They demanded that local authorities should speed up constructionof social housing for workers.

Nguyen Van Danh, deputy director of the Department ofConstruction, said: “Now workers in industrial and processing zones need around245,000 places to live, but the city has only 5,500 social houses and 39,500guesthouses for them.”

“The city plans to build 20,000 social houses more at pricesranging from 300 million VND to 1 billion VND (13,500 - 44,000USD) and dormitories for another 35,000 workers by 2020,” he added

The union leaders also urged city authorities to look into thefood served to workers by their companies and ensure its quality by severelyfining violators and to provide more eating options in workers’ neighbourhoodsby setting up supermarkets.

Most of the eateries in industrial and processing zones are nowrun by individuals.

Tran Kim Yen, chairwoman of the HCM City Labour Union, said: “Cityleaders and relevant authorities have paid much attention to improving theliving standards of workers but the situation has not improved much.”

She said 10 kindergartens were opened for workers’ children lastyear.

Tran Thi Hong Van, chairwoman of the Nissei Electric Vietnam LtdCompany’s trade union, said: “The Government should hike the minimum salary…because the current level of 3.75 million VND (170 USD) [a month] is very low.

“Many enterprises claim to pay workers higher than the minimumlevel, but actually not many do.”

She also complained about workers being forced to work overtime:“[They] have to work extra very often -- around 100 hours a month.”

Tran Duy Bien, chairman of the Dae Yun Vietnam Ltd Company’s tradeunion, agreed with Van.

“To earn enough to live, workers need to work extra. They don’thave time for studies, amusement or family.

“The minimum salary should be enough for workers to live on.”

The city People’s Committee chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong said: “HCMCity authorities always try to ensure people can work, study and live in abetter environment. We have to try more but trade unionists must be close toworkers to understand their needs and encourage them.”

He instructed authorities to be receptive to ideas and come upwith solutions to reduce workers’ difficulties, especially through training.-VNA