VietNamNet Bridge – The New Year is coming but many workers are still not paid. Hiring gangsters to acquire wage debts, threatening to sue or even beating employers are tragicomedies about workers’ claim of wage these days.

On January 17, 30 employees of S-Fone grouped up at the office of S-Fone Hanoi to ask for salary pay. An employee was fainted at the meeting with the director.

Ms. H.D, working at a media company in Cau Giay District, Hanoi, complained: "I was laid off from May 2012, but the company has not paid the salary of two months (over VND6 million). After several times asking for the pay, my boss promised to pay this western New Year but until now I’ve not paid yet."

Diep said her family is extremely difficult at present. All family living expenses depend on her husband’s salary. She is trying to claim the wage debt and waiting for the lunar New Year to pass to apply for a new job.

Mr. Le Ha, from Van Cao Street, Hanoi, said: "Our company has owed wages from August 2012. We met with the director to ask for salary but he said he would pay when he has money."

Mr. Phan H., a civil engineer working in Thai Binh province, said: "My company also owes wage. I just got married so I have a good reason to get my salaries on time. Others have to sympathize for the company’s situation."

On an online forum, a member with nickname Foreverht wrote: "I quit my job for three months and the company still owes me several million of salary. They keep promising to pay it soon but do not pay. Do you have any idea to help me get the pay?"

"Getting paid on time is good enough, let alone Tet bonuses" is the wish of many people this year.

On VietNamNet, reader Anhvan42 wrote: "Our company does not pay the salary for September 2012. We do not dare to think about the Tet bonus. We do not have money to go home this Tet so we will have to celebrate Tet at the working site."

The “tricks” to claim wage debt

The lunar New Year is adjacent so the salary debt is considered the biggest obsession of workers.

Hoang, a worker of a company in Hoang Mai district, Hanoi, said: "I went for claiming my salary but I was just like a debtor. Just seeing my face at the door, accountants immediately told me that salary was not available."

Many office workers said that when they met their bosses to ask about their salary, the bosses blamed the late payment on the accountants while the accountants blamed on the bosses.

In the case of many laid-off workers, they called their bosses but the bosses turned off the phone. They called for the former accountants to ask about their wage debts but the accountants quit the job. They asked the new accountants but the new accountants said they did not know anything about the wage debt.

Ms. Hoai Anh, an office worker, said: "My company incurred debt and had to close. The company did not have money to pay salary for us. We had to take the company’s products or furniture to use or to sell. Fortunately, I sold some furniture on the Internet to compensate my lost wages."

Hoai Anh said that the boss of her friend refused to pay wage. This woman asked a man who looked like a gangster to see the boss to claim the wage. Finally, she was paid two thirds of the wage debt.

To get their pay, some people, had based on their good relations with the accountants of their former companies, to be informed whenever money is transferred to the company account.

"I think we should establish relations with the accounting department and the people around the boss just in case like this," a woman suggested

Beating the boss!

On 29/12/2012, due to not being paid for several months, many worker of the Gia Sang Steel Rolling JSC in Thai Nguyen province went on strike.

Not all employees can have sympathy for the difficult situation of their companies. Many people claim their wage by “force.”

They said that they sympathize for the plight of the company, but the salary is their sweat and their effort and especially, who are sympathetic to the difficulties of their families?

Recently, while arguing about the late payment of salary, two employees of a company on Truong Chinh Street, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi, used a chair to beat their boss.

On January 17, 30 employees of S-Fone grouped up at the office of S-Fone Hanoi to ask for salary pay. An employee was fainted at the meeting with the director.

On 29/12/2012, due to not being paid for several months, many worker of the Gia Sang Steel Rolling JSC in Thai Nguyen province went on strike.

Many workers threatened to hire a lawyer or live at the companies until they are paid. Some companies were afraid of losing credibility with their customers so they paid part of the debt.

Ms. Ha, who worked for a company in Tay Ho district, Hanoi, asked her husband to play as a gangster to threat her boss to claim her wage.

L.Minh