On August 3, the Provincial People's Committee held a meeting between provincial leaders, industry associations and domestic investment enterprises in 2022. The conference was chaired by Vo Van Minh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; and Nguyen Van Danh, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee. Attending the conference were representatives of departments, agencies, and business associations in the province. At the conference, the delegates contributed many ideas to develop solutions to solving difficulties of enterprises and taking good care of workers' lives in the coming time.
Nguyen Liem, Chairman of Binh Duong Furniture Association (BIFA), mentioned some difficulties facing the wood industry.
Stagnant businesses
According to a report of provincial Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, since June 2022, many enterprises in leather footwear, wood, and textile garment industries have faced a lack of production orders, which affected workers' incomes.
Therefore, the Provincial People's Committee held a series of conferences and seminars to discuss and implement measures to support enterprises; strengthen exchanges and contacts between provincial leaders, departments and agencies with foreign businesses and branches in the province to promptly remove difficulties and obstacles, to facilitate production and business operations of enterprises.
However, due to the global common economic challenges, many enterprises in the province are being affected in terms of production and employment.
At the conference, Nguyen Liem, Chairman of BIFA, said that the wood industry has never faced such difficulties as it is now, which is a shortage of orders and raw materials. Enterprises in the wood industry have actively reduced prices and provided free shipping, but there are still no buyers.
Currently, many enterprises in the wood industry are facing difficulties. Businesses are struggling to maintain production by reducing working hours and retaining employees. Although difficulties are piling up, many wood enterprises guarantee the 13th-month salary for their employees so that they can have money for Tet holidays.
Previously, around July 2022, many businesses in the wood industry gave a bonus of 1-month salary so that their employees could have money and support necessities for employees. Wood enterprises are trying to find orders for workers to have jobs next year.
Phan Le Diem Trang, Vice President of Binh Duong Textile Garment Industry’s Association, said: “Currently, many enterprises in the textile garment industry are facing difficulties, lack of orders, especially at large enterprises.
This industry makes an attempt at finding more orders. In the short term, enterprises facing difficulties allow their workers to work moderately, without overtime, thus workers' income is deeply reduced."
Due to the common difficulties, businesses and industry associations proposed some solutions to Provincial People's Committee, such as: to create favorable conditions for enterprises to get preferential loans, freeze loans, deferral of insurance premium payment to maintain business operations. In addition, the Provincial People's Committee needs to have solutions and policies to support and take care of employees' lives.
Because as businesses have difficulties and can't retain employees, it will be much more difficult when they have orders and consumption markets again. At that time, enterprises will not have a skilled workforce to meet the requirements, while new recruits must take a lot of time to train from the beginning...
To propose many solutions
Speaking at the conference, Nguyen Thanh Toan, Director of provincial Department of Industry and Trade, said that with the leather footwear, textile garment, and wood processing industries facing difficulties in orders and exports, the agency has helped to find new markets, like India, Latin America, the Middle East, and focuses on the big market, China, to find orders, boost production, and remove difficulties for businesses.
Regarding proposals from businesses, the department promptly reported to the Provincial People's Committee to help businesses remove difficulties. According to Toan, it is hoped that at the beginning of Q2-2023, the export of Binh Duong would develop more.
Regarding activities to take care of employees, besides Tet-caring activities for workers, the Provincial Labor Confederation is mobilizing lodging house owners to reduce and exempt room rent for workers. Additionally, the provincial Labor Confederation proposed other support packages to the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, such as rent support package...
Nguyen Kim Loan, Chairwoman of the Provincial Labor Confederation, said: “Difficulties are anticipated and this year’s number of employees staying in Binh Duong during Tet festival would be higher, the Provincial Labor Confederation reported and advised the Provincial People's Committee to support gifts for employees twice as much as in 2022. The number of gifts this year is estimated at 46,000 pieces, each worth 500,000 VND.
Besides, the provincial Labor Confederation and trade union levels in the province to give gifts or money about 100,000 gifts, each worth 500,000 VND, all financed by trade union funds Provincial Labor Confederation directed grassroots trade unions to use all trade union financial resources to take care of employees.
After listening to opinions and difficulties of businesses and industry associations, Vo Van Minh encouraged businesses having difficulties to make more efforts to maintain business production and create jobs for employees.
The Chairman of Provincial People's Committee directed Department of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, Provincial Labor Confederation, and localities to coordinate well in implementing the Tet supporting plan for employees, especially workers facing difficulties staying in Binh Duong during Tet.
Vo Van Minh asked relevant departments and agencies, such as Tax Department, Department of Planning and Investment, Department of Industry and Trade, and Provincial Social Insurance to coordinate to find solutions, solve difficulties for enterprises. Provincial People's Committee also recorded suggestions of enterprises and will have more programs to stabilize production in the coming time.
Reported by Quang Tam - Translated by Ngoc Huynh
