Basis for proposed wage increase at minimum wage negotiation session

On August 9, the National Wage Council entered its first official meeting to discuss the regional minimum wage plan for 2024.

Speaking to Dan Tri reporter, Vice President of Vietnam Confederation of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Vice President of National Wage Council Hoang Quang Phong said that the desire of workers to increase the minimum wage is completely legitimate.

However, it is still necessary to consider and carefully calculate salary adjustments because businesses are currently facing many difficulties.

Căn cứ đề xuất mức tăng lương tại phiên đàm phán lương tối thiểu - 1 — Vice Chairman of the National Wage Council Hoang Quang Phong.

According to Mr. Phong, employees and employers must share and be determined to maintain jobs from now until the end of the year, and prepare plans for the following years.

Whether or not to adjust wages, Mr. Phong emphasized, depends on the results of efforts to keep workers employed.

"From VCCI's perspective, increasing wages at this time is not appropriate. The National Wage Council will certainly come up with an adjustment plan and will move towards increasing wages, but not at this time," Mr. Phong emphasized.

Workers still have difficulties

Mr. Le Dinh Quang, Deputy Head of the Legal Policy Department (Vietnam General Confederation of Labor), member of the National Wage Council, said that the representative of the workers has prepared all the data, including the announcement of a survey on the living conditions, employment, and wages of workers in 2023; collecting opinions from experts, trade union officials, etc.

Căn cứ đề xuất mức tăng lương tại phiên đàm phán lương tối thiểu - 2 — Minimum wages in 4 regions are adjusted over the years (Design: Thuy Tien).

Mr. Quang said: "This year, in the difficult context, many options need to be proposed, so the Labor Federation does not propose a specific level. During the negotiation process, union members, based on the prepared information, will agree with each other to discuss the salary increase level."

According to the Deputy Head of the Legal Policy Department, there are parameters that need attention such as the income of workers who cannot meet their minimum spending needs, the consumer price index, rent, and the non-food rate.

According to this person, currently the lives of workers are still difficult, however, businesses are also facing many difficulties. One of the factors in negotiating wages is the ability of the business to pay.

Therefore, it is necessary to consider adjusting regional minimum wages in a harmonious manner, both to motivate workers, increase productivity and efficiency, and to be suitable to the payment capacity of enterprises.

2023 is the 10th year that the Government has established and operated the National Wage Council. The main function of the National Wage Council is to advise the Government on the direction of adjustment and promulgation of regional minimum wages; and to recommend to the Government annual and periodic regional minimum wage plans.

Photo: Son Nguyen

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