Workers at Hanoi-based Thang-Long are struggling with increasing prices; many are choosing between VND11,000 (US$0.68) for a lunch for three and sleeping all day to abstain from food.
Sleeping rather than eating
Thuy from Ninh Binh province, a worker at Thang Long Industrial Zone, discussed how much she pays for a meal for three (her and two roommates): “VND2,000 of tofu, VND8,000 for a 3-tael fish, VND2,000 of tomatoes, and VND1,000 for onions, we spend VND13,000 ($0.8) for a meal.”
But for Thuy and her roommates, this is a special kind of meal because VND13,000 is for food only. “This kind of meal actually costs VND20,000 ($1.25),” Thuy said, after calculating rice, vegetable oil and fuel costs.
Huong and Bai from Bac Ninh province, workers of Fujikil Company in Thang Long Industrial Zone, also spend just VND6,000 ($0.37) for a meal for two. This small amount of money is used to buy spinach (VND1,500), pickles (VND1,000) and potato (VND3,000).
Visiting the rented room of six male workers of HOYA company in Co Dien village, Dong Anh district, Hanoi, one can feel the difficulty of workers during the current ‘price storm’, as the cost of living is on a steep rise.
“We work at night, sleep during day to keep our strength and save money on food expenses,” Thanh, one of the six workers said. Before the “price storm”, these workers ate at rice shops, but now they cook for themselves.
In debt
Without enough money to pay for essential needs, many workers at Thang Long Industrial Zone are now in debt.
Chien, a worker at Ikeuchi Company, has to borrow money off one person to pay another. This circle repeats itself month by month because his VND1.1 million salary is not enough for rent, water and power bills, gas, telephone charges, etc.
Trang, from Bac Ninh province, is always out of money. Her family is just several kilometers from her factory but Trang rarely returns home. With an income of around VND1 million per month, Trang is also in debt, who is called the “Century debt”.
For young couples like Thao and Luong, with VND2 million of income, life has become very hard. They rent a room and used to go to their factory by motorbike but as gas prices are on the rise, they sold their bike.
Doan and her wife, from Ha Tay province, decided to travel several kilometers from their house in Ha Tay to their work to save on accommodation fees but they have to wake up at 4am to go to the office.
Worker harder, but for what?
To pay debts, many workers have to work extra hours. Tuyen, a worker at Nissei company, works 12 hours a day and 30 days a month and earns VND2 million.
Hoi doesn’t work the whole year like Tuyen but he is ready to work in a toxic working environment to earn an additional VND14,000 per day, VND364,000/month.
These laborers work had but can’t live on their income. When they don’t work, they can only sleep to save energy so they don’t have to spend on food, but nothing more because they don’t have the simplest forms of entertainment like TVs, radios or newspapers.
The lunar New Year is approaching but Thuy and many other workers don’t think they will be able to return home.
(Source: VTC)
Sleeping rather than eating
Thuy from Ninh Binh province, a worker at Thang Long Industrial Zone, discussed how much she pays for a meal for three (her and two roommates): “VND2,000 of tofu, VND8,000 for a 3-tael fish, VND2,000 of tomatoes, and VND1,000 for onions, we spend VND13,000 ($0.8) for a meal.”
But for Thuy and her roommates, this is a special kind of meal because VND13,000 is for food only. “This kind of meal actually costs VND20,000 ($1.25),” Thuy said, after calculating rice, vegetable oil and fuel costs.
Huong and Bai from Bac Ninh province, workers of Fujikil Company in Thang Long Industrial Zone, also spend just VND6,000 ($0.37) for a meal for two. This small amount of money is used to buy spinach (VND1,500), pickles (VND1,000) and potato (VND3,000).
Visiting the rented room of six male workers of HOYA company in Co Dien village, Dong Anh district, Hanoi, one can feel the difficulty of workers during the current ‘price storm’, as the cost of living is on a steep rise.
“We work at night, sleep during day to keep our strength and save money on food expenses,” Thanh, one of the six workers said. Before the “price storm”, these workers ate at rice shops, but now they cook for themselves.
In debt
Without enough money to pay for essential needs, many workers at Thang Long Industrial Zone are now in debt.
Chien, a worker at Ikeuchi Company, has to borrow money off one person to pay another. This circle repeats itself month by month because his VND1.1 million salary is not enough for rent, water and power bills, gas, telephone charges, etc.
Trang, from Bac Ninh province, is always out of money. Her family is just several kilometers from her factory but Trang rarely returns home. With an income of around VND1 million per month, Trang is also in debt, who is called the “Century debt”.
For young couples like Thao and Luong, with VND2 million of income, life has become very hard. They rent a room and used to go to their factory by motorbike but as gas prices are on the rise, they sold their bike.
Doan and her wife, from Ha Tay province, decided to travel several kilometers from their house in Ha Tay to their work to save on accommodation fees but they have to wake up at 4am to go to the office.
Worker harder, but for what?
To pay debts, many workers have to work extra hours. Tuyen, a worker at Nissei company, works 12 hours a day and 30 days a month and earns VND2 million.
Hoi doesn’t work the whole year like Tuyen but he is ready to work in a toxic working environment to earn an additional VND14,000 per day, VND364,000/month.
These laborers work had but can’t live on their income. When they don’t work, they can only sleep to save energy so they don’t have to spend on food, but nothing more because they don’t have the simplest forms of entertainment like TVs, radios or newspapers.
The lunar New Year is approaching but Thuy and many other workers don’t think they will be able to return home.
(Source: VTC)
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