Encourage Employers' Commitment to Affordable Homes for Workers

​To solve the housing problem for workers and low-income people, for many years, Dong Nai has encouraged and created conditions for companies and businesses to build houses, hostels and provide rental assistance to its workers.

The Board of Directors of Vedan Vietnam Enterprise Corp.,Ltd hands over the Red Cross House in Cam My district.

Building Houses for Workers

The 9-storey building, with a total of more than 300 self-contained rooms of Hung Nghiep Formosa Co., Ltd located in the center of Hiep Phuoc Town, is one of the most modern worker housing quarters in Nhon Trach district. This place has about 1.4-1.8 thousand workers in permanent residence.

According to the Company's representatives, the initial investment cost for said building was more than USD 6.2 million. From 2005 up to now, each month, this enterprise spends billions of dong to serve the needs of food and drink for workers in the building and pay the costs of management, maintenance, electricity and water. In addition to building houses for workers, the Company also supports workers to "settle down" by paying interest for 10 years to those workers with a bank loan of less than 200 million dong to buy land, build a house or repair a house. Provided that the worker has been working for more than 3 years and has no house or deteriorated house. Up to now, there are about 100 workers enjoying this policy.

At Vedan Vietnam Enterprise Corp.,Ltd (Long Thanh District), from 2013 up to now, the Board of Directors has a policy of supporting 20-25 houses per year (worth VND 50 million per house) for unions in enterprises and the Vietnam Red Cross in localities to build houses for workers and people with meritorious services have difficulty in housing.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Deputy Director of External Relations of Vedan Vietnam Enterprise Corp.,Ltd said that in 2020, despite being seriously affected by COVID-19, the Company still sponsors more than 20 charitable houses, red cross houses, solidarity houses for workers, people in Dong Nai province and number of neighboring provinces. Up to now, the company has awarded 7 apartments, the rest are and are about to be built. It is expected of the Company, who are in extremely difficult circumstances, to own a dream home, work and study with peace of mind.

Also at Dong Nai Rubber Corporation (Long Khanh City), the Board of Directors and the Company Union support the construction of 5-10 houses for workers every year. On special occasions such as the Company's 40th anniversary, it simultaneously made 40 houses of Meaningful Rubber Houses (40 million VND per unit) for workers in difficult circumstances, from 2 generations or more associated with the Rubber industry.

The Board of Directors of Hwaseung Vina Co., Ltd. donates VND 50 million to housing support in 2020

A shared-responsibility

Mr. Ho Tang Anh Tuan, Secretary of the Hwaseung Vina Co., Ltd. (Nhon Trach district) said that if businesses want to develop, they must have an efficient workforce, good products, and long-term partners. Branches, Trade Unions, related departments advise and propose to businesses to fully push the prescribed regimes and gradually increase the welfare of employees with bonuses, allowances and practical support program. According to Mr. Tuan, only the housing support program, on average, each year the Board of Directors sponsors construction costs for 3-5 houses. After finishing the house, the company leaders will give an extra gift to celebrate the new house such as: television, refrigerator, washing machine or air-conditioner upon employee's wishes. With the number of more than 20,000 workers working, this project only meets a very small part of the workers' housing needs. However, that also opens up hope of peace for workers.” – shared Mr. Tuan.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan, a worker of Hwaseung Vina Co., Ltd., who was recently awarded VND 50 million to build a house, said that this is a large amount of money for workers. She said that she would borrow more to build a house of about VND 100 million to build a house for the whole family. Ms. Lan did not forget to thank the Board of Directors, the Trade Union Executive Committee where she works and promised to use the money for the right purpose, work hard to contribute to the development company, so that more and more workers like her will be given houses.

For many years, in order to reduce pressure on housing for districts and cities with strong industrial development, the province has a policy of calling, encouraging and creating maximum conditions for legal procedures, land rental costs for businesses to invest in social housing, dormitory for employees; Or support the cost of renting a house, building charitable and solidarity houses for workers. Tens of thousands of houses and rooms supported by enterprises partly or fully have been put into use. However, with more than 1 million employees working in concentrated industrial zones and clusters, this is a very small number compared to the demand. It is necessary to join hands of the whole society for low-income people to work stably.

Phan Anh