Social News 15/1
S.Korea firm to sue workers for loss-causing strike
Striking workers at a South Korean-invested firm in
Some 800 workers at Carimax Sai Gon Ltd. Co. went on strike
January 3 after the company declined to pass on a mandated rise in minimum
wages.
Company officials said on January 12 that workers who failed
to carry out their duties for five consecutive days would be sacked and sued
for losses incurred by the company.
Carimax said trade union intervention had failed to resolve
the strike.
The government decreed last year minimum wages would rise by
VND250,000-400,000 (USD11.9-USD19) a month, depending on region, from January
1, 2015.
But on December 27, the board of directors at Carimax said
that because of 2014 losses, the pay rise would be determined according
to each worker's attitude, capability and experiences.
It also declared the Tet bonus would be 90% of a worker's
monthly wage, but if workers went on strike, the company would consider
cancelling the bonus.
Carimax said it would not sue the striking workers if they
agreed to the company's new salary position, which would see a payment of 60
percent of the Tet bonus before the holiday, and the balance after Tet. But
workers would have to achieve 70 percent of productivity targets.
Workers say the company’s salary policies are improper. The
annual increase of basic salary is regulated by the state, but the company
does not follow this.
The strike is continuing.
Bat Trang pottery village crowded with Tet shoppers
As Tet nears, Bat Trang pottery village in
Bat Trang pottery market in the village opens all year round
with a moderate number of visitors in normal days and a bit higher at the
weekends. More foreigners visit the village than local people in normal
months and most of the visitors mainly do sightseeing.
The village has been packed with shoppers in year-end months.
Dyke roads from Long Bien and Chuong Duong bridges as well as other paths
leading to the village have been overcrowded with vehicles in recent days.
Bus route Long Bien-Bat Trang has been overloaded.
People from Hanoi and surrounding provinces such as Hung Yen,
Hai Duong and Bac Ninh pour in the village to buy the dishes, cups, flower
vases, etc…since early morning to nightfall.
Several shoppers come from other provinces across the country.
On the occasion of a trip to
A group of students from
Besides individual shoppers, the market has received a lot of
traders with large quantity orders.
Shop-owner Le Thi
Blind newlyweds 'cheated' over wedding rings
A jewelry company in
The event, in September 2014, was held by cosmetic teachers at
the HCMC Association of Vocational Training. Cuu Long Jewelry was a sponsor
and provided wedding rings for 20 couples, most of them with disadvantaged
backgrounds. More than half the couples are blind.
When one of the couple brought the supposed VND6m (USD285)
wedding rings to a jewelry shop to be polished, they were told the rings were
worth less than VND10,000.
The couple then took the problem to the event organiser and
Cuu Long Jewelry. They were surprised to be informed the pair of rings had a
stated worth of VND2.5m, not the VND6m as they had been told.
Cao Thi My Vang, director of Cuu Long Jewelry, said at a
meeting with several couples who also came to report the same problems with
their rings, "We want to apologise to all the couples. When making the
rings, we put much effort into the design so each ring had spiritual value.
"According to our contract, each pair of ring was worth
VND2.5m, not VND6m as the organiser had announced. We're willing to exchange
VND2.5m for any couple that wants to return their rings," Vang said.
Bui Thi Thap, one of the organisers, said, "We apologise
for saying each pair of rings was worth VND6m, as the contract does state
each pair was worth VND2.5m. When noticing the mistake, we failed to inform
everyone in time because we had changed the phone numbers. This is very
regrettable."
"The saddest thing is we were cheated. If the pair of
rings was worth VND2.5m then the company should have just made VND2.5m rings.
But jewellers at another shop said they would not even buy the rings at
VND10,000, let alone VND6m,"
"I was too embarrassed to tell my family about this. The
company and organisers have no respect at all for blind people."
Cuu Long Jewelry met many of the couples and offered to buy
back the rings at VND2.5m for each pair, but a number of couples were unable
to attended because they lived too far away.
Robot competition launched for high school students nationwide
Youth Communist Union's center of science development and
technology, Quang Trung Software park and SaigonTech School January 11 in Ho
Chi Minh City launched a competition “ Choi vui robot – Hoc tot Pascal”
(Enjoy Robot-Well Study Pascal) for high school students nationwide who have
eagerness for technology.
The competition includes two parts for students who are
professional in IT and those who don’t study but love IT. The first is that
competitors will handle their real robot in the field to compete each other.
The second is that participants make a video clip to control robot.
Contestants should use Pascal language, STRobot and STRobot
software as per countervailing form. In addition, competitors should make a
clip to perform robot’s activities or combine with scenario to send a message
or stories about lide.
The construction work of the Thu Thiem 2 Bridge will begin on
February 3, according to Nguyen Huu Tin, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh
City People’s Committee.
The bridge is intended to connect the new urban area Thu
Thiem, which is being developed, in District 2 to the downtown area in
District 1.
The bridge and its approach roads, which are scheduled to
complete in 2018, have a total length of 1,300m and six lanes for two-way
traffic.
The main bridge spanning the
The total cost is estimated at more than 3.5 trillion VND (165
million USD), excluding the cost for compensation and land clearance.
The construction of the bridge is likely to force part of the
Ba Son Shipyard to be relocated, Tin said, confirming that the construction
would not disrupt the relocation.
The urban railway management unit is also asked to re-position
the Exit at the Ba Son station servicing the city’s first metro line, to
ensure that it will not be affected when the Thu Thiem 2 Bridge is open.
Quang
Central Quang
Between now and 2020, the province plans to grow nearly a
million ginseng plants across 100 hectares in Nam Tra My district. As part of
long-term plans, the province has zoned off a 19,000 hectare plantation
within seven communes in the district.
To produce the resulting ingredient derived from ginseng and
required for traditional medicines, Quang Nam will call on joint efforts of
the government, scientists and entrepreneurs to take part in developing
processing and trading structures for the future organic farming product.
The province has prioritised sustainable management and the
application of advanced science and technology to help reach its goal.
The local ginseng (scientific name: Panax vietnamensis) is a
rare and valuable long-standing plant used in traditional medicine. The
species is primarily found at Mount Ngoc Linh which straddles the area
between Quang
Community to get involved in city development
The CDS project aims to create city-development strategies
that involve all stakeholders, using the cities themselves as the driving
force behind the development.
CDS, a tried and tested model for city development, will be a
useful tool for policy-makers and businesses in dealing with the emerging
issues faced by fast-growing cities across the country, such as climate
change, energy preservation, and the development of competitive advantages,
said Nguyen Quang, UN-Habitat Programme Manager in Viet Nam.
D. Ajay Suri, Regional Adviser of the Cities Alliance, said
the CDS project is different from other models as it focuses on ways to get
the community involved not just during the planning stage but also during the
implementation process.
The project will cover five more cities, Hai Duong, Hung Yen,
Viet Tri, and Ha Tinh, as well as Ben Tre, over two years, with sponsorship
from the UN-Habitat and Cities Alliance, a global partnership for urban
poverty reduction and the promotion of the role of cities in sustainable
development.
NTSC to promote helmets for children
The National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) announced the
start of a nationwide action plan for 2015 entitled "Love your child,
provide a helmet," in the capital city yesterday.
The main activities to promote the plan include public
awareness-raising and mass media communications on child helmet use,
school-based education, and increased police enforcement on a national scale
to crack down on violations of child helmet regulations.
Khuat Viet Hung, the committee's deputy chairman, said though
helmet use is mandatory by law for both adults and children over the age of
6, child helmet use has remained significantly lower than adult use, with
only 1 in 3 children in major cities wearing helmets. Last year, 1,900
children died in traffic accidents. Among these victims, over 50 per cent
were not wearing helmets, noted officials.
Poor workers to get 1,000 free bus tickets
More than 1,000 free bus tickets would be given to poor
workers in
The tickets will be given to members of the union who have not
visited their hometown during Tet for the past four years.
Nguyen Phuoc Manh, deputy head of the Labour Union, said the
union would co-ordinate with the Department of Transport to work with
reliable transport companies.
Labour unions at various levels in the province will also
present more than 4,600 gift bags worth VND400,000-500,000 (US$20-25) to
family members of workers who are living in difficult conditions.
Median strip on
Parts of the central divider on
A 16-seat bus crashed into the barrier last Saturday, while
later that night, another truck collided with the concrete divider, causing a
traffic ja.
Many drivers have said that rain and poor lighting impaired
their view at night on the bridge.
Nguyen Le Minh, director of Nhat Tan Bridge Management Board,
said lights were placed at either side of the central reservation, and there
were warning signs at the start of the bridge.
However, Minh said the board had decided to remove the barrier
following the incidents.
Unsafe
Ferry operators are continuing to transport automobiles across
the Hong (Red) River from wharfs deemed unsafe by the Waterway Traffic Police
Department.
A report by the Cong an nhan dan (People's Police) newspaper
showed that the
Most passengers did not wear life jackets and ferry operators
failed to warn them of the risks.
Nguyen Van Cuong, deputy director of the department, said that
one of the most serious problems was that ferries were transporting
automobiles.
Ferries from Van Phuc and Van
Police patrolled the wharfs regularly and issued
administrative penalties, but operators continued to violate safety
regulations.
The department planned to ask city authorities to upgrade
wharfs to allow them to handle automobiles.
"It will meet passenger demands and stop illegal
transportation," he said.
Wharfs which did not meet safety regulations to transport
automobiles would be put under strict supervision. The department would also
work with the municipal Department of Transport to set up warning signs at
those wharfs, said Cuong.
Over the past month, the department has fined more than 200
people for violating safety regulations.
Ha Noi now has more than 30 wharfs, according to the Waterway
Traffic Police Department.
New urban plans to get more inclusive
The CDS project aims to create city-development strategies
that involve all stakeholders, using the cities themselves as the driving
force behind development.
"Cities contributed up to 75 per cent of the country's
GDP and created millions of jobs, serving as economic hubs to boost development,"
said Do Viet Chien, director of the Ministry of Construction's Urban
Development Agency.
However, Chien added that
City development, even when planned, could still backfire if
un-coordinated and lacking strategic vision, said Dinh Thanh Tam, director of
the Ministry of Planning and Investment's Department of Planning Management.
"The country's development plans are often poorly
constructed and lack community support," Tam said.
In addition, these plans complicated the development process
instead of helping it and caused substantial damage to the environment in the
process, according to the director general.
"With one-third of the population and major economic and
social activities taking place every day, the country needs a model to guide
the development of its cities now more than ever," said Nguyen Quang,
UN-Habitat Programme Manager in Viet Nam.
Quang said that CDS, a tried and tested model for city
development, would be a useful tool for policy-makers and businesses in
dealing with the emerging issues faced by fast-growing cities across the
country, such as climate change, energy preservation and the development of
competitive advantages.
D. Ajay Suri, Regional Adviser of the Cities Alliance, said
the CDS project was different from other models as it focused on ways to get
the community involved, not just during the planning stage but also during
the implementation process.
The workshop included a presentation on
The project will cover five more cities over two years (Hai
Duong, Hung Yen, Viet Tri, Ha Tinh and Ben Tre) with sponsorship from the
UN-Habitat and Cities Alliance, a global partnership for urban poverty
reduction and the promotion of the role of cities in sustainable development.
Healthcare costs to be standardised
Examination and treatment costs at hospitals ranked the same
in terms of facility quality and services provided will be standardised,
under a joint circular soon to be released by the Ministry of Health and the
Ministry of Finance.
Speaking at an event yesterday where attendees could state
their opinions on the plan, Deputy Health Minister Pham Le Tuan said costs of
medical services differed between hospitals with the same rankings in the
country because localities regulated their own prices.
Rankings are determined by professional skill levels, medical
facilities and techniques used. The ministry found that, for example, some
hospitals ranked Level 1 in Ha Noi or
Tuan said the shortcomings arose when city and provincial
People's Councils individually implemented a law that regulated medical
service costs.
However, a revised health insurance law that took effect in
the beginning of 2015 should take care of the problems, Tuan said. The
revised law says the health minister, with the help of the finance minister,
must standardise medical service costs paid by health insurance funds.
Health insurance is compulsory for all, and aims to cover
medical services for the entire population. It also means citizens have to
buy health insurance cards, which will cover part or all of their medical
costs, according to the revised law.
A draft of the joint circular states service costs for five
levels of hospitals: Level 1 through Level 4 and Special Level. Currently,
Bach Mai and Viet Duc are Special Level hospitals, and many district
hospitals are Level 4.
The joint circular is scheduled to be completed and circulated
in the second quarter of the year.
Highway expansion work puts commuters in danger
Both motorcyclists and drivers of bigger vehicles are on
tenterhooks as they navigate the
Expansion work on the highway has been taking place on the
entire length of the road that runs through the central province since May
2013, forcing all vehicles to use small lanes on the side of the road as well
as rocky sections and big holes.
With weeks to go before Tet (Lunar New Year) the nation's
major festival, no improvement can be expected in the situation as work goes
on in the northern part of the province, running from Phong Dien District to
the centre of
Several bus drivers who did not want to be named said the road
section in Phong Dien District, including a flyover and several bridges over
rivers, was the most dangerous.
"Sometimes I have to act with super-fast reflexes when a
motorcyclist falls right in front of my vehicle because of holes on the
road," said one bus driver on the
Tran Cong Phat, a commuter who travels from Phong Dien
District to
"It gives me a very risky, scary feeling. I can get hit
by a hurrying lorry from behind at any time," he said.
Local newspapers have printed many reports on the potential
dangers from construction work, but the situation has not improved despite
the locality being in the grips of winter rains, reducing visibility.
A recent report in the Nong thon Ngay nay (Countryside Today)
newspaper said the construction work had created many big holes on the road
in Huong Thuy District, which is in the southern part of the province.
The report said many motocyclists fell after stumbling on
holes filled with rainwater. The holes posed a risk for local children, it
said.
The report quoted a resident of Thuy Phu Commune as saying the
work had been suspended for two months, leaving vertical steel beams standing
unused. These were "traps" for locals, he said.
Viet Nam News could not contact the project's main contractor,
the
Thua Thien – Hue is one of several provinces that the
Government has blamed for delays in the highway expansion work.
2015 national traffic safety year
Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, Deputy
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked all localities to implement the
national traffic safety year by promptly drafting and approving laws on
traffic safety and order.
Phuc made the request at an online conference in Hanoi on
January 13 reviewing traffic safety activities in 2004 and outlining tasks
for this year.
Vietnam’s 2015 national traffic safety year will focus on
tightening the control of transportation businesses and loading capacities.
The aim is to reduce 5-10% the number of deaths caused by traffic accidents
compared to 2014.
Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang said, “Localities should
increase patrols and inspections to strictly deal with traffic safety
violations, particularly those that could cause an accident. Communication on
traffic safety should also be increased along with improving the skills and
qualifications of law enforcers.”
Tightening inspections over mining activities
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong
Ha called for tighter inspections and control over mining activities in 2015
at the conference of General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam in
Hanoi on January 13.
He stressed the need for the department to devote greater
attention to supervising mineral reserves exploited by businesses in order to
prevent the depletion of the country’s natural resources.
He proposed following the Mineral Law and its guiding
documents to intensify mining management.
Deputy Head of the General Department Bui Vinh Kien said the
office imposed financial fines on 67 organisations and individuals in 2014,
totalling nearly 5 billion VND (235,000 USD). It also conducted unscheduled
inspections at relevant offices across Thai Nguyen, Lam Dong, Thua Thien-Hue,
Binh Dinh and Phu Yen provinces.
Last year, geological mineral surveys produced positive
results. The General Department, in collaboration with the Japan Caving
Association, announced the discovery of a volcanic cavern system in Krong No
district in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong, said to be the
longest volcanic grotto in Southeast Asia.
Surveyors also unearthed a coal mine along the coast of Tien
Hai district in northern Thai Binh province with nearly 1,460 million tonnes
of reserves, according to Kien.
Vietnam hospital fosters cooperation with Japanese partners
Military Hospital 175 under the Ministry of Defence signed a
memorandum of understanding on medical cooperation with Okayama Saiseikai
Hospital and the Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA) at a ceremony
in HCM City on January 12.
Their future collaboration will cover medical research,
transfer of latest medical technology, human resources training, and joint
treatment for patients.
AMDA, founded in Okayama City, Japan, in 1984, is a
non-governmental organisation with an international network of 30 chapters
and 47 collaborating organisations across the globe, providing emergency
medical aid to people affected by natural and man-made disasters.
Nearly 322 bln VND for rice farming development
The Prime Minister has decided to spend additional 321.6
billion VND (15.1 million USD) from the State budget on rice field
development and protection.
The money will be allocated to 18 localities across the
country, including Ha Giang (7.4 billion VND), Hai Phong (16.4 billion VND),
Nam Dinh (38.6 billion VND), Ha Tinh (29.4 billion VND) and Ca Mau (24
billion VND).
Vietnam ’s 2014 rice production was estimated at 28 million
tonnes, equivalent to 45 million tonnes of paddy, up almost 800,000 tonnes
over 2013, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The country exported 6.5 million tonnes of rice worth about 3
billion USD last year. Major export markets for Vietnamese rice include
Singapore, mainland China, Hong Kong, Cote d'Ivoire, Algeria and Indonesia.
Dong Thap: Rural sanitation improves through CHOBA programme
The People’s Committee of the southern province of Dong Thap
held a workshop on January 12 to evaluate the implementation of the Community
Hygiene Output-Based Aid (CHOBA) Programme in the locality.
As many as 7,300 sanitary toilets have been built under the
programme since 2012 in 45 communes of the province, accounting for 76.6
percent of the target.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the provincial People’s
Committee said the project, which will run through this year, not only helps
the poor to improve hygiene but also has a deep social and economic meaning,
especially in building new-style rural areas.
CHOBA project, funded by East Meets West foundation, assists
poor, nearly poor, and disadvantaged families in building new sanitary
toilets to improve the environment, reduce waterborne diseases, and change
the people’s sanitary habits and behaviours.
The project does not support finance directly for the
households, but via award packs for families, which are delivered after they
build hygienic toilets with preferential loans. Communes with an increase of
30 percent in the number of sanitary lavatories will be presented with 64
million VND.
So far, the project has been conducted in 496 communes in 10
provinces nationwide, aiming to better hygiene conditions for 1.4 million
people in rural areas.
Officials celebrate with Hoa Hao Buddhism prophet’s 95th
birthday
A delegation of officials of the Mekong Delta province of An
Giang congratulated Hoa Hao Buddhist followers on the 95 th birthday of the
sect’s founder, Prophet Huynh Phu So, in January 12-13.
Representatives of the provincial authorities and the
provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front visited and offered their congratulations
to the Executive Committee of the Hoa Hao Buddhism Sect and the prophet’s
family, dignitaries, and followers in Phu Tan, Chau Phu district, and Long
Xuyen City.
The delegates expressed the hope that Hoa Hao believers in the
province, as well as across the nation, will continue their beneficial work
to build “new rural style” areas in the province.
The religion has 391 executive committees in 17 provinces and
cities nationwide and boasts more than 2 million followers.
In 2014, the followers were highly involved in charitable
activities across the country, including building houses, bridges, and roads
and providing food for the poor.
Seventy-two years ago, Hoa Hao Buddhism was founded by Prophet
Huynh Phu So, a native of Hoa Hao village, Tan Chau district, Chau Doc
province which now is Phu My Town, Phu Tan district, An Giang province.
Home to more than 800,000 followers, An Giang province is
regarded as the Holy Land of the sect.
Stricter measures to ensure traffic safety
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged ministries,
agencies, and localities to take more drastic measures to ensure traffic
safety, particularly on the upcoming traditional Lunar New Year.
Speaking at an online conference in Hanoi on January 13, Phuc,
who is also head of the National Committee of Traffic Safety, asked the
police forces to heighten inspections and patrols and enforce regulations.
Specifically, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City should encourage the
use of public transport instead of individual vehicles. Quang Tri, Kon Tum,
Vinh Long, Kien Giang and Ben Tre provinces that saw a rise of up to 10
percent in traffic deaths in 2014 are asked to evaluate their policies and
make adjustments to reduce traffic accidents.
The Ministry of Transport together with local and municipal
People’s Committees need to ensure technical safety, reform the online ticket
sales system, improve service quality, and create more favourable travel
conditions for passengers during the traditional Tet holiday.
According to the Ministry of Transport, there were 25,322
traffic accidents nationwide last year, killing 8,996 people and injuring
24,417 others. The figures represent a 13.8 percent decrease in accidents, 4
percent decrease in fatalities and 17.2 percent decrease in injuries.
Though no aviation accidents were reported in 2014, there were
91 cases of safety threats, a 177 percent increase from the previous year.
The power outage at the Ho Chi Minh City Area Control Centre is considered
the most serious of these events, after it caused delays to three
international transit flights and several other domestic routes from Tan Son
Nhat airport in November.
Online conference participants discussed effective models to
reduce traffic accidents and proposed solutions to realising the 2015
National Assembly and Government target of decreasing the number of annual
traffic accidents nationwide by 5-10 percent.
Source: VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND
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Thứ Tư, 14 tháng 1, 2015
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