Seamless Implementation of Incentive Policies: Textile Enterprises Struggle to Find Workers

Thousands of Jobs Available in Ca Mau

Triple Vietnam Garment Company, based in Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh City, is expanding its production with 30 sewing lines and is currently seeking to employ around 1,000 general workers to meet the large and continuous orders throughout the year.

Mr. Nguyen Dac Thoi, Chairman of the Trade Union of Triple Vietnam Garment Company, shared that to attract workers, the company offers a range of appealing supportive policies. They do not require employees to have prior training and will provide free vocational training while still paying wages during the training period.

Additionally, the company provides various monthly allowances, including a 600,000 VND transportation and accommodation subsidy, a 500,000 VND attendance bonus, and a seniority allowance of up to 700,000 VND after 10 years of service.

A monthly productivity bonus scheme is also in place, with an average bonus of about 2 million VND per person.

The company utilizes diverse platforms such as Facebook and Zalo, and even visits local areas like Ca Mau, where approximately 60% of their workers are from, to find new candidates.

Despite their efforts, the recruitment results have not met expectations. Currently, the company’s workers are working overtime until 8:30 PM every day to keep up with the production schedule.

“We can also leave our company information and job requirements in the local communities. This way, the residents can spread the word to more people. Recently, we only visited one commune, and we plan to visit a few more in the upcoming months for recruitment purposes. Nowadays, many people tend to quit their jobs to claim social insurance benefits, making recruitment more challenging,” added Mr. Thoi.

Meanwhile, An Phuoc Embroidery, Shoe, and Garment Company in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, has been facing a shortage of over 100 workers for positions like sewing, ironing, and quality control, despite their extensive recruitment efforts over several months.

The company’s human resources representative stated that they would have to explore new recruitment strategies. Currently, they are visiting workers’ accommodations in areas with high turnover rates to introduce the company’s policies and benefits and distribute promotional flyers.

Full 13th-month Bonus for New Hires

Bowker Vietnam Garment Company, located in the Dong An Industrial Park, Thuan An City, Binh Duong Province, is also actively recruiting 300 additional sewing workers to meet the rising production demands.

Mr. Tran Xuan Bang, Deputy Head of Labor Relations at the company, shared that they have introduced a new policy to provide special support for candidates joining in August. Specifically, new employees will receive a full 13th-month salary for 2024, regardless of having worked for only 4-5 months by the year-end.

“Usually, the 13th-month salary is calculated based on the number of months worked during the year. However, the company is willing to offer this bonus to new employees as an incentive,” explained Mr. Bang.

For skilled workers, the company implements an entry bonus based on their skill level: 3,380,000 VND for level A and 2,990,000 VND for level B, with lower amounts for levels C and D.

“This bonus will be divided into phases according to the length of their employment, from one month to three and six months, to encourage long-term commitment and stability from the workers,” added Mr. Bang.

According to Mr. Pham Xuan Hong, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Embroidery and Knitting Association, most textile and garment enterprises in the city have orders until the end of the third quarter and have signed contracts for the fourth quarter of this year. “This is a very positive sign for the textile and garment industry in Ho Chi Minh City,” said Mr. Hong.

However, he also mentioned that after the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not been easy to recruit additional workers to meet the increasing orders. “Many workers have returned to their hometowns or switched to other industries, leading to a labor shortage in the textile and garment sector. This puts significant pressure on enterprises to maintain and expand their workforce to meet production requirements,” explained Mr. Hong.

To address this issue, Mr. Hong suggested that companies need to implement better policies to stabilize their current workforce and attract new talent. “To stabilize and attract labor, improving income and salary policies is crucial. Enterprises should provide additional support for overtime work, monthly bonuses, and other benefits for employees. At the same time, they should try to minimize overtime while ensuring income by encouraging workers to increase productivity,” proposed the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Embroidery and Knitting Association.

According to experts, implementing policies that encourage workers to increase productivity without relying heavily on overtime will create a sustainable working environment. When workers take the initiative to learn and improve their skills, it will enhance production efficiency, leading to higher income and a better quality of life.