VietNamNet Bridge – Employees' health is at risk because many firms are refusing to ensure workers undergo regular medical examinations.

Do Thanh Cat, head of the Legal Policy Division in Ben Tre Province's Labour Federation, said foreign-invested firms in the southern province were generally pretty responsible when it came to the health of their workers and that they took advantage of the medical centre that had been established by the local authority. But that non-foreign-invested firms were neglecting their workers' health.

"However, most private enterprises at the district level that are not foreign-invested are failing to have the health of their workers checked on a regular basis as they are not interested in arranging periodical medical examinations for their workers because of the cost."

However, he said some firms, such as Thanh Vinh Coconut Processing Factory in Chau Thanh District's An Hiep Industrial Park, were conscientious when it came to the health of their workers, even sending their employees to get medical checks twice a year – not once as legally required in potentially hazardous occupations.

Many companies had even signed contracts with medical centres to test the health of their workers every month, such as Malaysia Coconut Processing Ltd Company (Ben Tre Coconut Ltd Co) and Viet Hong Garment Company, he said. However, workers usually undergo general health checks that are not specific to the particular hazards they face.

Nguyen Van Thua, head of the Legal Policy Division at Long An Province's Labour Federation, said just a few of the several hundred companies in the southern province ensured their workforce underwent regular medical examinations.

Ching Luh Shoes Co Ltd in Long An Province's Ben Luc District has 25,000 workers, the largest number of employees in region. It said all its workers underwent annual medical checks.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Quoc Su, the company's union chief, said the firm had signed a contract with a hospital in HCM City to conduct annual occupational health checks on the firms' workers. Any employees suffering respiratory problems caused by cotton fibre and dust were sent to the hospital for treatment at the company's expense, he added.

However, Nguyen Thi Truyen, the union chief at Long An Garment Export Joint Stock Company, said the firm had only signed a health deal with medical staff to check for pneumonia, not occupational lung diseases caused by cotton dust.

Meanwhile, Trong Nam Seafood Processing Company in Long An Province's Tan An Town, which pays its staff a relatively high monthly salary of VND5,000,000 (US$238) on average, does not pay for its staff to undergo occupational medical examinations.

Thua said the company was reluctant to cover the cost of periodic health checks, and that the local authority was failing to inspect the firm.

Making matters worse, he said workers were generally unaware of their rights.

"Vietnamese workers do not actually understand about the need for occupational medical examinations. They are only interested in their salary, bonus and total income. They do not pay much attention to health," Thua said.

Tran Thi Luong, 47, a former worker at a seafood processing company, said she had left the firm because of ill-health.

Luong said she had been forced to stand in water for hours at a time and that the air smelt of chlorine, which was used as a disinfectant. She said she now suffered constant headaches, arthritis, a runny nose, bad breath and fatigue. She said her salary at the time did not cover the cost of the drugs she needed to take.

Tran Thi Mai, a resident in Thu Thua District's Binh Thanh Commune, said she had worked for a textile company for 20 years.

She said the working environment was better than if she had to work as a farm labourer. However, she now suffered from lung disease and ear problems.

Mai added that many of her colleagues suffered similar health problems and had to fork out huge sums on drugs.

"Many workers suffer from occupational diseases such as pneumonia. However, many of their ailments are not listed as diseases by the State," Cat said.

According to a recent health survey, seafood processors were at high risk of contracting venous congestion – the dilation of veins and capillaries in an organ due to impaired drainage – because they had to stand up all day.

Making matters worse, most companies do not pay compensation to workers who suffer health problems at work.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News