VietNamNet Bridge – A young Vietnamese couple who are workers with a joint monthly income of VND 8.9 million (USD395.3) have become social media stars after they revealed how far they have to stretch their earnings to get by.  

Illustrative photo. A simple meal of a couple who are workers.

In a post on their Facebook, the couple shared their family’s expenses last August. The husband earns VND4.3 million (USD191) per month with his office two kilometres from their home while the wife earns VND4.6 million (USD204.35) per month and works 18 km away.

Both of them eat lunch at their workplace and have dinner at home in the evening. They have a child but their incomes are not enough to cover all their monthly expenses, including education fees for the child, rent, water and electricity bills, fuel and food expenses.

Their living expenses meant they were VND1.3 million (USD57.75) short every month.

After sharing their earnings on Facebook, they received sympathy and a lot of comments from many online friends.

One member of the public said, “I don’t have to pay rent and my house isn’t very far from my office, otherwise our budget would be insufficient.”

Another member of the public commented, “Families with two children would suffer an even more desperate situation.”

Several others said that they were in the same boat. In order to make savings, they opted to buy local milk products for their children, grow vegetables and make yogurt, coffee, pizzas instead of buying them from shops.

A recent Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) survey conducted at 60 enterprises in 10 cities and provinces in four different economic regions revealed that most manual workers were struggling to make ends meet.

The results showed that an average income of VND3.8 million (USD168.81) could only meet minimum needs, and overtime was often required.

Only 15% questioned workers said they were satisfied with their salaries, 51.2% were relatively pleased while 34% were unhappy with their salaries.

“I do think that the government should work out a detailed roadmap for minimum wage increase based on minimum living standards,” said Le Trong Sang from the VGCL.

He added that many enterprises are providing unfair payments for their employees as they use two salary sheets – one for real payment and the other for submitting to the social insurance agencies.

Nguyen Dinh Thang, from The Hanoi Industrial and Export Processing Zone Management Board, said current incomes just meet 70% of their minimum living standards. This was among the reasons that caused up to 40 strikes and labour disputes since the beginning of 2015.

Mai Duc Chinh, Vice Chairman of the VFCL said this was why workers expected an increase of 16.5% in the regional minimum wage for 2016 for better life.

However, the National Wage Council only agreed an increase of only 12.4% in regional minimum wage for next year.

DTriNews/VNN