Meals for workers working overtime have an extremely important role to ensure the health, reproduce energy, and contribute to enhancing productivity and product quality of the company. Therefore, provincial Labor Confederation has encouraged companies to improve the quality of meals with a minimum of 15,000 VND/portion of meal.
Workers of Vietnam Tsuchiya Tsco Company had their mid-shift meal
Encouraging enterprises to improve the quality of meals
Implementing Vietnam General Confederation of Labor’s Resolution on “Mid-shift meal’s quality of workers”, provincial Labor Federation developed an action plan to call for enterprises to take good care of the material and spiritual life of workers. Previously, mid-shift meals of workers did not concerned companies; each meal had too low nutritional values to reproduce labor power. Some companies contracted other organizations to provide meals without control over food safety. Hence, there were many cases of food poisoning or exhaustion affecting company productivity, product quality. This was a consequence of the underestimate of meals’ quality.
To remedy this situation, provincial Labor Federation has enhancing propaganda activities to encourage enterprises to further care for workers’ lives. At the forefront of this work is Thong Dung Footwear Company (Thuan An Town). Previously, the company contracted a catering service to provide meals for employees; however, this service often had meal quality problems. Therefore, Mr. Vu Van Duy, Kitchen manager of the company, suggested cooking meals worth VND15,000/portion at the company. He knows the taste of most workers in the company, his cooked meals always ensure sufficient quality, nutritious, appetizing, contributing to reproducing labor. To minimize food safety problems, Mr. Duy asked the company to change cooking utensils, use electric stove, install ventilators at the dining area to create open, comfortable air for employees to enjoy their meals.
Canteen of Vietnam Tsuchiya Tsco Company (VSIP I, Thuan An Town) is arranged in a clean, airy location with air-conditioning. The kitchen staff are equipped with uniforms and trainings of cooking, food hygiene safety. Chef Nguyen Ngoc, who has 25-year experiences in cooking for restaurants, companies, said a VND30,000-meal prescribed by the company consisted of all dishes ensuring enough nutritional values for workers. In addition, three times a week, the company provides milks, yogurts for employees, and noodles for mid-shift meals.
Putting meals into provisions of collective labor agreements
To specify the Resolution of General Confederation of Labor, provincial Labor Federation set a target, in which from 2016, trade unions at companies must put the content of worker’s shift meals into collective labor agreements. One portion of a shift meal must cost at least VND15,000. Trade Union is able to sue employers letting food poisoning happen to employees.
Mr. Bui Thanh Nhan, Chairman of provincial Labor Federation, said: “To achieve this goal, firstly all-level trade unions should take steps to enhance propaganda, raise employees and employers’ awareness of meal quality. Meals must ensure not only enough nutrition but also food safety and hygiene. Grassroots trade unions must put shift meals into collective bargaining agreements. This process must be carried out strictly under the supervision of State management agencies in terms of the observance of labor regulations and food safety and hygiene. After examination and inspection, organizations and companies violating food hygiene and safety regulations will be sanctioned. Trade unions should also expand good models of collective kitchen, commend companies complying well with food safety and hygiene, ensuring nutritional meals for employees.
Reported by Kim Ha – Translated by Ngoc Huynh
