In recent days, workers have been excited and eagerly awaiting this good news. Simultaneously, trade unions at all levels have been urgently negotiating with businesses.
Hopefully wages will rise to offset rising prices.
One evening at the end of the year, while riding home in a ride-hailing car, I overheard the story of a shoe factory worker who was working as a ride-hailing driver.
Having left his hometown of Nghe An to work as a factory worker for 12 years in a company in Tam Binh ward (HCMC), Nguyen Trung Hau (32 years old) jokingly says he "gained" a wife, two children, and two jobs.
"I work as a shoe factory worker at a private company, earning only 8 million VND. My wife works as a garment factory worker, earning just over 7 million VND per month, so every day I take advantage of the evenings to work as a ride-hailing motorbike driver to earn extra income," Hau confided.
In recent days, hearing about the 7.2% increase in the regional minimum wage, Mr. Hau has been eagerly anticipating it. He hopes that businesses will use this as a basis to adjust employee wages.
Also eagerly awaiting the implementation of the new regional minimum wage, Ms. Tran Thi Diem Thuy, a garment worker at Tan Tao Industrial Park (Ho Chi Minh City), shared that her current salary is over 6 million VND, plus overtime pay and meal allowances, bringing her total income to over 9 million VND.
Ms. Thuy said that although this salary is already higher than the regional minimum wage, she still hopes that the company will adjust the wages for its employees on New Year's Day. According to Ms. Thuy, after each increase in the regional minimum wage, the company always raises wages for its employees to some extent.
Along with their salaries, workers are also eagerly awaiting the announcement of Tet bonuses from their employers. In recent days, the news that the company plans to give a Tet bonus equivalent to three months' salary has delighted employees at Printing Company No. 7 (Tan Tao Industrial Park, Ho Chi Minh City).
According to Mr. Truong Hoang Tam, Chairman of the company's Trade Union, if the production and business plan is completed, the expected Tet bonus (13th month salary) for employees will be 3 months' salary. In addition, the company also gives bonuses based on A, B, and C ranking, New Year's Day bonuses, Lunar New Year bonuses, and New Year's lucky money to employees. Currently, the company has about 325 employees and has consistently given high Tet bonuses for many years.
Meanwhile, at Nidec Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park), Mr. Luu Kim Hong, Chairman of the company's Trade Union, said that the current wages paid by the company are higher than the regional minimum wage. However, the company's trade union is negotiating with the unit's leadership to increase wages for employees when the new regional minimum wage is applied.
"Regarding Tet bonuses, there will be no change compared to last year, following the formula: salary x 1.1. The trade union will also organize a year-end party, give gifts, and arrange transportation for workers to return to their hometowns and back to the city," Mr. Luu Kim Hong said.
This Lunar New Year, the Ho Chi Minh City Trade Union is implementing practical measures to support its members and workers. The total estimated budget is approximately 700 billion VND, providing assistance to about 15% of the more than 2.3 million union members and workers facing difficult circumstances.
Workers must not be owed wages or bonuses.
According to the National Wage Council's recommendation, the increase in the regional minimum wage, effective from January 1, 2026, will not only serve as the basis for wage payments but also as the basis for businesses to pay social insurance contributions, ensuring the pension level of employees in the future.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Internal Affairs has also issued a document requesting businesses in the city to promptly develop and announce their plans for paying salaries and bonuses for the 2026 New Year and Lunar New Year to their employees.
Regarding the above issue, the Ho Chi Minh City Federation of Labor (HCMCFL) has issued a directive and guidance to all grassroots trade unions on implementing monitoring and participation with employers in developing plans for paying salaries and Tet bonuses.
According to Le Van Hoa, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Federation of Labor, this is not a mere formality but an important process to protect the stability of labor relations during the peak period at the end of the year.
According to Mr. Le Van Hoa, the trade union requested that businesses announce their salary and bonus payment plans early, including: bonus amounts, Tet holiday support levels; salary payment schedules, Tet holiday leave dates; policies for employees working overtime or during the year-end period; Tet gifts and other accompanying benefits. All information must be publicly and transparently disclosed to employees before December 20th, as directed by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Internal Affairs.
"Besides monitoring to ensure businesses fulfill their commitments and comply with legal regulations, we are determined to prevent any situation where businesses delay announcing Tet bonuses, causing instability among workers," Mr. Le Van Hoa emphasized.
In addition, the city's trade union organization also deployed a network of local management task forces in coordination with ward, commune, and special zone trade unions to review all businesses showing signs of difficulties: unpaid wages, unpaid bonuses, unpaid social insurance contributions, reduced orders; and to review vulnerable worker groups in order to promptly propose support to the City Federation of Labor and the government.
Currently, some businesses tend to restructure salaries after the minimum wage increase, reducing some existing benefits. A representative from the Ho Chi Minh City Trade Union stated that they do not accept businesses exploiting the minimum wage adjustment to reduce the real income of workers.
The city's trade union organization will proactively coordinate with competent authorities in inspecting and monitoring the implementation to ensure that the increase in the minimum wage is accompanied by an increase in benefits and does not harm workers.
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/ngong-tang-luong-cho-thuong-tet-post828434.html
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