Improve the quality of meals for workers

Bandai Vietnam Co., Ltd., Da River Left Bank Industrial Park (Hoa Binh City) maintains the organization of shift meals to ensure the rights and health care of workers.

Improve the value of shift meals for workers

At 11 o'clock, the team of workers of Bandai Vietnam Co., Ltd. in the Industrial Park (IP) on the left bank of the Da River (Hoa Binh City) quickly moved to the cafeteria to have their shift meal. At the communal house with a capacity of over 500 people, workers can sit and eat in a cool, clean space, with delicious, nutritious food trays... Through research, it is known that Bandai Vietnam Co., Ltd. maintains the organization of shift meals for over 500 workers, reaching over 90% of workers. The value of the meal is 25,000 VND/meal, of which, workers pay 7,000 VND/meal, the rest is supported by the company. To organize shift meals, the company invests in a kitchen system, cafeteria, hires a team of professional chefs, ensuring effective implementation of providing meals according to food safety and hygiene criteria (FSH), and nutritional regime for workers.

Ms. Doan Thi Kim Chung, a worker at Bandai Vietnam Co., Ltd., shared: "Lunch at the company has many dishes that suit my taste. Having lunch at the company helps me save money and have time to rest after stressful working hours. The company's management has paid attention and arranged separate community rooms to meet the needs of employees."

Also at the Industrial Park on the left bank of the Da River, GGS Vietnam Co., Ltd., immediately after its establishment and operation in 2013, the company signed a contract with a unit providing shift meals for employees, at times with up to 1,000 employees. Currently, the company organizes shift meals for over 700 employees, each meal costs 25,000 VND, the cost of lunch is 100% supported by the company. In order to ensure that the shift meals meet food safety regulations, the Executive Board of the Trade Union coordinates with the unit providing meals to carry out all steps, from the stage of building a menu with full nutrition, suitable for the taste of employees. Establishing "Food Safety and Hygiene" teams to inspect the process of importing fresh food, the processing process, and storing food samples. Along with maintaining the organization of daily shift meals for employees, on the occasion of International Women's Day March 8 and Vietnamese Women's Day October 20, the company organizes "Happy day" meals, increasing the value of meals by 10 - 20%.

In recent years, the provincial trade unions have proactively mobilized and negotiated with enterprises to include the content of supporting shift meals for employees in the collective labor agreement (CLA). At the same time, adjustments have been made and the level of support for shift meals increased when prices increased to ensure nutrition, health, and food safety for employees. Specifically, the provincial industrial park trade unions with nearly 17,000 employees, many large-scale FDI enterprises. According to the review, in the 3 operating industrial parks, over 50% of enterprises currently maintain shift meals for nearly 10,000 employees, with a minimum meal cost of VND 25,000/meal. Some enterprises have high-value shift meals such as: Fecon Equipment Joint Stock Company 50,000 VND/meal, Almine Vietnam Co., Ltd. 35,000 VND/meal, Nissin Manufacturing Vietnam Co., Ltd. 33,000 VND/meal... In 2024, the whole province has 32 trade unions proposing and negotiating with employers to adjust the value of shift meals for employees according to regulations, reaching 291% of the target assigned by the General Confederation of Labor (GCL).

There are still shortcomings in organizing meals.

In reality, there is still a situation where the organization of shift meals at some enterprises has not been paid attention to, or has not ensured the factors of meal quality and food safety requirements... The maintenance of shift meal organization is currently only being implemented evenly at FDI enterprises in industrial parks, some large-scale production enterprises... The whole province currently has over 4,000 enterprises with over 34,000 employees, 242 of which have established a Trade Union organization. However, only 137 enterprises with a Trade Union organization provide shift meals for employees, accounting for 56.6%. According to statistics, in 2024, the whole province has 795 units and enterprises that are late in paying social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance with a total amount of 6.7 billion VND. Of which, 24 enterprises with a Trade Union organization have a debt of 5.3 billion VND; 771 enterprises that have not established a trade union have a debt of 1.4 billion VND. This reality shows that medium, small and micro enterprises with difficult economic conditions do not have large resources to maintain support for shift meals for their employees.

In the context of the difficult economy when orders at enterprises are cut, workers are forced to quit their jobs. The skyrocketing market prices have led to an increase in many essential goods, a part of low-income workers find it difficult to balance their living expenses because their income is unstable. Therefore, many workers have to cut down on spending, reduce the value of lunch to save money for family living.

Through practical surveys, it is shown that at some enterprises under the Labor Federation of districts and cities, the quality of shift meals is still "poor" in terms of nutritional value, the food portions are still low, not ensuring the regeneration of labor. Currently, the value of shift meals is not specifically regulated in the law according to the general level for all types of enterprises, so the value of workers' meals depends on the capacity of each enterprise. That means that the value of shift meals depends on the interest of the enterprise and the results of negotiations and construction of the Collective Labor Agreement of the Trade Union organization at the grassroots level.

Promoting the role of trade unions

Implementing Conclusion No. 03/KL-BCH, dated January 18, 2022 of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor on continuing to implement Resolution No. 7c/NQ-BCH, dated February 25, 2016 on the quality of workers' meals. The Provincial Confederation of Labor regularly directs Trade Unions at all levels to coordinate with enterprises to synchronously deploy measures to ensure safe meals and ensure the health of workers. Accordingly, the grassroots Trade Unions have promoted their role in inspecting and supervising the implementation process of meals at enterprises. Meal providers or kitchens develop weekly menus for the company to review and consult with workers. The food source provided must be fresh, safe, and traceable. After each meal, food samples must be strictly kept. Providing good shift meals for employees is also one of the plus points for businesses to retain employees and attract new workers.

Carrying out activities to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam Trade Union (July 28, 1929 - July 28, 2024), the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor has deployed "Union Meals" at grassroots trade unions in agencies and units nationwide. In Hoa Binh province, 14/15 grassroots trade unions directly above the grassroots organized "Union Meals" for nearly 3,000 union members and employees at enterprises; 133 grassroots trade unions coordinated to organize "Union Meals" for over 7,045 union members and employees at units with a total cost of 765 million VND. Through "Union Meals", trade unions at all levels continue to do a good job of taking care of material and spiritual life and actively propose and negotiate with employers to adjust the value of shift meals for employees.

Comrade Nguyen Duc Thuan, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial Federation of Labor affirmed: "Taking care of health, specifically improving the quality of shift meals for employees is the responsibility of employers and trade unions. In the coming time, the Provincial Federation of Labor will promote propaganda work, direct trade unions at all levels to continue negotiating with enterprises to include the content of supporting shift meals for employees in the Collective Labor Agreement to make adjustments and increase the level of shift meal support when prices increase to ensure nutrition, health, and food safety. Strengthen propaganda work, coordinate inspection and supervision of the implementation of shift meals at enterprises. Regularly listen to feedback and suggestions from employees to have timely solutions, not to let complicated conflicts arise at the workplace. Encourage enterprises to pay attention to and invest in upgrading trade union facilities for employees such as kitchen areas, dining halls, common rooms, etc. This will not only improve the quality of employees' meals but also demonstrate the role and responsibility of employers. Using labor and organizing trade unions, building harmonious, stable and progressive labor relations in enterprises, contributing to stabilizing the labor market and promoting production and business".

Duc Anh

Opinion Group:

There should be specific regulations for organizing shift meals for workers.

Current laws do not require businesses to support or organize mid-shift meals for employees. However, given the importance of mid-shift meals for employees' health, the State should research and consider legal regulations and create consistency and uniformity in the level of mid-shift meals for employees.

Trade unions at the grassroots level promote dialogue, collective bargaining, and the signing of collective labor agreements on policies and regimes, including the adjustment of the value of shift meals to ensure that they are consistent with market prices and Conclusion No. 03/KL-BCH, dated January 18, 2022 of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor. Encourage businesses in the province to organize shift meals for employees, and at the same time allocate resources to improve the value of shift meals. Thereby helping employees ensure health and a comfortable spirit to improve the quality and efficiency of work, and build a close relationship between employees and businesses.

Tong Duc Chien

Head of Professional Department, Director of Labor Consulting and Support Center

Focus on investing in infrastructure and fire prevention systems

Along with focusing on improving the value of shift meals for workers, food safety and hygiene in the kitchen area of ​​enterprises is of particular concern, because it directly affects the health of the workforce. Every year, the Provincial Industrial Parks Trade Union strengthens coordination with the Industrial Parks Management Board and relevant agencies to inspect and supervise the process of implementing shift meals. Along with requiring shift meal providers and enterprise kitchens to provide full certificates of food safety and hygiene issued by competent authorities, sign contracts with a commitment to take responsibility before the law. At the same time, enterprises are encouraged to fully equip specialized equipment to serve the process of organizing shift meals...

In addition, the risk of fire and explosion is hidden everywhere, especially in the kitchen areas of enterprises. This is an area that often stores large amounts of flammable substances such as gas stoves, raw materials, and goods for daily life. Therefore, enterprises have focused on developing fire and explosion prevention plans, including training the staff working in the kitchen area with knowledge, disseminating, thoroughly equipping them with knowledge about fire and explosion prevention, and being able to proficiently use fire extinguishers to promptly handle sudden and unexpected situations.

Le Dieu Hoan

Vice Chairman of the Provincial Industrial Parks Trade Union

Spread the program "Union Meal"

2024 is the first year of implementing the "Union Meal" program for workers in the whole province. During the organization process, workers were very happy and excited when the value of the shift meal was increased, and at the same time had the opportunity to talk and get closer to the employer. Not only stopping at supporting the increase in the value of the meal, workers hope that the "Union Meal" program will be maintained more regularly on holidays, Tet... The implementation method is flexible to ensure the rights of businesses and workers.

Through "Union Meal", we create trust and solidarity between union members and employees towards the union organization and the enterprise. From there, we build stable, harmonious and progressive labor relations in the new situation.

Bui Thi Ngoc Quy Yen

Workers of Lac Son Electronics Company Limited

Source: https://baohoabinh.com.vn/274/199919/Nang-cao-chat-luong-bua-an-ca-cho-cong-nhan-lao-dong.htm