For fear of chronic shortages of workers after the Lunar New Year Festival (Tet), many businesses in Vietnam have introduced generous salary and bonus policies.

It’s a common occurrence that many workers, especially those working in industrial zones, tend to stay on in their home villages of look for a better-paid job somewhere.

Diem, a worker for an electronics spare parts producer in Binh Duong, says she is not sure if she can come back to work or not.

In order to deal with the problem, many businesses have no alternative but to take better care of their employees.

The Saigon Garment Import Export Company Ltd in HCM City often needs a large number of workers to fill its contracts signed for the New Year. So, in recent days, it has distributed Tet gifts to all its workers, and promised to give added bonus to those who come back to work on time.

This is not a single case in point. According to Dong Nai provincial Confederation of Labour, most of the businesses in the province have created favourable conditions for their labourers. Apart from covering travel fees, many offer part of accommodation costs for those under difficult circumstances.

Truong Thi Phuong, Deputy Director of the Hanoi May 19 textile Company says her company has paid due attention to improving the living conditions of workers and is not worried about their stay away from work.

Dang Quang Dieu, Director of the Institute for Workers and Trade Unions, says the shortage of workers after Tet is unavoidable, but this problem can be partly solved if enterprises adopt suitable policies.

He says 90 percent of workers’ strikes in 2011 were caused by inadequate welfare benefits and low incomes.

Source: VOV