Workers on a production line in Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone (Ho Chi Minh City) - Photo: QUANG DINH
Proposals to raise salaries in many communes in Ho Chi Minh City and the Con Dao Special Administrative Region.
Recently, at the 8th meeting of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (13th term), Mr. Le Van Hoa - Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Confederation of Labor - shared the story of Ho Chi Minh City having as many as 168 commune-level administrative units.
However, the division of minimum wage zones from the old district level to the new commune level has resulted in some adjacent areas belonging to different zones.
In some exceptional cases, even just across a bridge or road, the difference between Zone 1 (highest minimum wage) and Zone 3 can be as much as 1.17 million VND (over 28%).
In particular, some communes, wards, and special zones that previously belonged to Ba Ria - Vung Tau province (now Ho Chi Minh City) have approached Zone 1, and are not compatible with the Zone 3 salary level.
Therefore, the Ho Chi Minh City Federation of Labor proposes adjusting the minimum wage zoning from zone 3 to zone 2 for: Kim Long commune, Chau Duc commune, Ngai Giao commune, Nghia Thanh commune, Long Hai commune, Long Dien commune, and Con Dao special zone.
In the long term, the Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Federation of Labor proposed that regulations should stipulate that areas bordering Zone 1 should not have a wage difference exceeding one zone. For island areas with particularly high living costs, such as Con Dao, a special wage zone mechanism should be considered.
Ms. Ho Thi Kim Ngan - Deputy Head of the Labor Relations Department of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor - Photo: HA QUAN
The minimum wage zoning after the merger needs to be reviewed.
Regarding this matter, Ms. Ho Thi Kim Ngan, Deputy Head of the Labor Relations Department of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, expressed that the process of rearranging commune-level administrative units has given rise to some shortcomings in wage zoning, including in Ho Chi Minh City.
According to Ms. Ngan, the Government has issued Decree 293/2025 stipulating the minimum wage for employees working under labor contracts, which will take effect from January 1, 2026.
Therefore, she suggested that local authorities and trade unions should continue to review and synthesize workers' opinions on redistributing wage zones after administrative unit reorganization, promptly identifying areas with excessively large disparities, especially in bordering communes and wards.
This helps ensure the livelihoods of union members and workers, avoiding negative impacts on labor migration. Because if wages differ significantly just across a road or a bridge, workers will make comparisons.
For bordering areas, she proposed that the wage difference should not exceed one wage zone. For example, if commune A belongs to zone 1, then commune B, being adjacent, should belong to zone 2, not zone 3. The principle is to ensure that areas have similar working conditions and living standards without significant differences.
According to Ms. Ngan, the zoning of minimum wages is not only a basis for paying wages but also a basis for calculating many other income components and benefits for workers.
Therefore, authorities need to review and adjust the zoning plan synchronously nationwide, based on a reassessment of living costs, working conditions, and the realities of the merged areas, while ensuring that it does not increase costs for businesses.
The National Wage Council continues to collect data and assess the minimum living standard, economic development, inflation index, and related factors in order to propose appropriate minimum wage regions to the Government in the future.
The relevant authorities should also consider factors related to workers' lives such as transportation, housing, employment, education, schools for their children, and needs for recreation and healthcare.
From January 1, 2026, the regional minimum wage will increase by 7.2% compared to the current level, equivalent to an increase of 250,000 - 350,000 VND.
- Region 1: From the current 4.96 million VND/month to 5.31 million VND/month (minimum hourly rate from 23,800 VND/hour to 25,500 VND/hour).
- Region 2: From 4.41 million VND/month to 4.73 million VND/month (minimum hourly rate from 21,200 VND/hour to 22,700 VND/hour).
- Region 3: From 3.86 million VND/month to 4.14 million VND/month (minimum hourly rate increased from 18,600 VND/hour to 20,000 VND/hour).
- Region 4: From 3.45 million VND/month to 3.7 million VND/month (minimum hourly rate from 16,600 VND/hour to 17,800 VND/hour).
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/de-xuat-phan-lai-luong-toi-thieu-vung-tranh-canh-qua-duong-qua-cau-la-khac-tien-luong-20251214073920681.htm
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