That is the reality of workers' and laborers' lives according to the survey results conducted by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor in March - April 2025. Therefore, adjusting the regional minimum wage is very urgent at present. At the first meeting of the National Wage Council on June 26, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor proposed two options to increase the regional minimum wage by 9.2% and 8.3%.
Struggling with low wages
Workers are struggling because their current salaries are not enough to live on, that is the summary of the survey results conducted by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor in March - April 2025 with nearly 3,000 workers responding to questionnaires in 10 provinces and cities. The survey results show that 54.9% of workers said that their salaries and incomes are just enough for their families' basic expenses; 26.3% of workers have to be frugal and spend frugally; 7.9% of workers do not have enough to live on, and have to do other jobs to earn more income to cover their living expenses. In the context of income not meeting the family's spending needs, workers have to "tighten their belts" and save to ensure their lives. Many cases have to borrow money to pay for unexpected needs. Specifically, the survey results show that 12.5% of workers regularly (monthly) have to borrow money to stabilize their lives; 29.9% of workers occasionally (3-4 months/time) have to borrow money.
Only 55.5% of workers have enough money to eat meat and fish in all main meals (excluding shift meals at the enterprise). Thus, a large number of workers do not have a stable and adequate level of nutrition. This affects their physical health, efficiency and productivity, and also reduces the quality of life for them and their families. Up to 72.6% of the total number of unmarried people said that salary is the main factor influencing their decision to start a family. Workers feel that their current income is not enough to ensure a stable life when starting a family, especially in the context of increasing living and childcare costs.
72.5% of married workers said that their current salary and income affect their decision to have more children. Living income levels make couples worry about their financial ability to raise children. While the cost of raising children, especiallyeducation and health care costs, is increasingly expensive, they are delaying having children to ensure the quality of life for themselves and their families. In particular, 6.9% of workers said that their salary does not meet the needs of spending on their children's education. This is a worrying figure, which could lead to their children not having access to quality education, affecting the development and career opportunities of future generations.
Regarding medical expenses, 44.1% of workers said that their income only covered basic health care and medical examination and treatment needs. 38% only had enough money to buy some basic medicines. 5.6% did not have enough money to buy medicine and medical examination and treatment at all. The vast majority of workers did not have the financial capacity to proactively take care of their health, especially when they encountered serious medical problems or needed long-term treatment. "Given the above situation, continuing to adjust the regional minimum wage early is important, urgent and extremely necessary for workers and their families," said the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor.
Want a raise soon
At the first meeting of the National Wage Council on June 26, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor proposed two options for increasing the regional minimum wage by 9.2% and 8.3%. Regarding the adjustment of the hourly minimum wage, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor proposed determining the hourly minimum wage based on the conversion of the monthly minimum wage and having an adjustment coefficient. Currently, the monthly minimum wage in region I is 4,960,000 VND/month; region II is 4,410,000 VND/month; region III is 3,860,000 VND/month; region IV is 3,450,000 VND/month. With option 1, the increase will be from 320,000 - 450,000 VND and with option 2, the increase will be from 290,000 - 410,000 VND.
Representing employers, Mr. Hoang Quang Phong, Vice President of the Vietnam Confederation of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Vice President of the National Wage Council, said that the relevant parties are still in the process of negotiating and have not yet reached a final agreement. However, according to Mr. Phong, the increase should range from 3 to 5%. This increase is enough to not put pressure on businesses, while also creating room for businesses to adapt. Along with that, Mr. Phong said that to effectively implement Resolution 57 NQ/TW, businesses also need resources, so with a moderate increase in the regional minimum wage, businesses will have the conditions to make breakthroughs in science, technology, and innovation.
From the perspective of representing workers, Mr. Nhac Phan Linh, Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Labor - Trade Union Magazine (Vietnam General Confederation of Labor) said that the two options proposed by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor were calculated based on price fluctuations, minimum living standards and the ability of enterprises to pay. These increases still ensure the harmony of interests between workers and employers in the current challenging context.
“The proposal is based on the general economic context, economic development goals and future forecasts. In addition, there are regular surveys and investigations by trade unions. The proposal also contributes to implementing the Party and State's policy of focusing on improving and enhancing living conditions, living standards, and social security for workers. The proposal of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor is to adjust the increase from January 1, 2026,” said Mr. Nhac Phan Linh.
Meanwhile, Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor Ngo Duy Hieu, who is also Vice President of the National Wage Council, said that in principle, the National Wage Council should have met and negotiated earlier. However, in the context of businesses still facing many difficulties, especially after a long period of recovery from COVID-19, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor shared and agreed to postpone the negotiation time. The parties will continue to negotiate on the increase plan and the time of application. Mr. Ngo Duy Hieu said that the viewpoint of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor as well as the common desire of workers is to apply the increase time early to reduce difficulties for workers.
Source: https://cand.com.vn/Xa-hoi/de-xuat-2-phuong-an-tang-luong-toi-thieu-vung-i772923/
Comment (0)