S.Korea firm to sue workers for loss-causing strike

Striking workers at a South Korean-invested firm in HCM City will be sued for losses caused to the company.

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 Hanoi’s suburban district of Gia Lam becomes very crowded with streams of shoppers who come to buy ceramic products.

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 Hanoi to visit his son, 59 year old Tran Tuan Anh from Tuyen Quang Province traveled also to Bat Trang to buy pottery items for his wife.

A group of students from Hanoi said that taking advantage of off days, they toured to Bat Trang and bought some of the dishes as a present for their families on the occasion of Tet holidays.

Besides individual shoppers, the market has received a lot of traders with large quantity orders.

Shop-owner Le Thi Nam said that the best selling time ranges from the 11th lunar month until the end of the lunar year and she could earn tens of millions of dong a single day.

Blind newlyweds 'cheated' over wedding rings

A jewelry company in HCM City allegedly used cheap gold to make wedding rings for a charity group hosting weddings for disadvantaged and blind couples.

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."

Hue, one member of an affected couple, said, "I just can't accept this 'mistake'.

"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," Hue said.

"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.

Ho Chi Minh City to build Thu Thiem 2 Bridge in February

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 Saigon River has a length of 877m with the main cable-stayed span stretching 440m.

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 Nam strives to build local ginseng trademark reputation

Central Quang Nam province is working to develop its local ginseng Ngoc Linh to become an international high-quality trademark to serve increasing demand in the herbal medicine industry and better compete with renowned rivals from the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the US.

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 Nam and the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum.-

Community to get involved in city development

Tam Ky and Quy Nhon will be the first two cities to be included in Viet Nam's City Development Strategies Project (CDS), officials announced.

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 Dong Nai Province before the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, according to the province's Labour Union.

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 Nhat Tan Bridge removed

Parts of the central divider on Nhat Tan Bridge have been removed following a string of accidents over the weekend.

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.

Nhat Tan Bridge opened to traffic on January 4, part of a new six-lane highway linking Ha Noi and Noi Bai International Airport.

Unsafe Red River wharfs continue to ferry vehicles

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 Thuy Linh Wharf in Hoang Mai District did not have any warning signs for passengers, and the path leading to the ferry was steep and narrow.

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 Nam wharfs in Phuc Tho District are not allowed to transport automobiles, but in recent years, they have been taking four-seat, seven-seat and even lorries across the river.

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

Tam Ky and Quy Nhon will be the first cities included in the Viet Nam City Development Strategies Project (CDS), officials announced yesterday at a workshop in Ha Noi.

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 Viet Nam had started to experience unwanted results of unplanned development in cities across the country, such as waste and inefficiency.

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 Tam Ky's use of the CDS model to come up with a strategic development plan for an environmentally friendly city and sustainable growth. Chairman of Tam Ky People's Committee Van Anh Tuan said the city would focus on products and services that were complementary to those of other cities and provinces in the region such as tourism, agriculture-forestry and fisheries while investing in human resource development as part of a long-term strategy for sustainable development.

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 HCM City had different costs from Level 1 hospitals in Hai Phong, Da Nang and Can Tho, Tuan said.

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 National Highway 1A stretch that runs through Thua Thien – Hue Province.

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 Hue City.

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 Hue - Quang Binh route.

Tran Cong Phat, a commuter who travels from Phong Dien District to Hue City every day to study, said some parts of the road are too narrow for lorries, vans, bikes and bicycles to travel at the same time.

"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 Da Nang based Trung Phuong Group. Sub-contractors and lower-rank managers at the construction sites were not willing to talk, either.

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.

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