Some 90 percent of the 4,000 workers at shoe maker Long Rich Vietnam live in Binh Duong province and this Thu Duc-based factory struggles to operate at full capacity as they have to be isolated for seven days before entering. their province of origin, according to the Ministry of Health.
Nguyen Thi Thuy Van, union leader of Long Rich, said the factory is too small to accommodate the 3,600 workers coming from Binh Duong, meaning they could not return for seven days if they returned home. them.
“If all are isolated, the plant can hardly operate.”
Underwear maker Triumph International in Binh Duong province has a similar problem, but on the contrary, as half of its 3,000 employees live in the city of Thu Duc and travel between the two locations every day.
Without them, the business could not function, said Mai Thi Hong, head of her union.
Saigon Hi-Tech Park in Thu Duc City receives more than 19,000 workers every day from Binh Duong, another neighboring province, Dong Nai.
Some companies have rented hotel rooms there for their workers so they don’t have to leave town, said Le Bich Loan, deputy park manager.
“There are a lot of difficulties but the factories are trying to solve them.” The park would use training centers for workers to stay while also setting up temporary accommodation.
HCMC labor union deputy chief Ho Xuan Lam said most factories should cut production to 30-50 percent and possibly shut down parts of their factories to create space for workers.
This is to avoid a total shutdown of the plant if cases of Covid were detected, he said.
But localities should start considering creating “green roads” for workers to commute between HCMC and other localities, making sure they only travel between home and factory, a- he added.
HCMV recorded nearly 11,000 infections during the latest wave of Covid-19.
