VietNamNet Bridge – The National Wage Council is expected to launch a survey in late March or early April to collect data for region-based minimum wage increases in 2017.

According to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the survey will review and assess factors for basic living standards, actual incomes, and impact of wage policy on workers.

Phung Quang Huy, director of the Bureau for Employers’ Activities under the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said VCCI plans to look into the implementation of the minimum wage increases for employees in 2016 as well as the affordability of enterprises for the minimum wage rises by region in 2017.

A VCCI report said most companies have fully observed the minimum wage increases for workers and only a few businesses have delayed them, leading to recent worker strikes in southern provinces.

Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Minh Huan requested provinces and cities to urge local employers to implement the 2016 minimum wage hikes.

The ministry has arranged meetings to collect comments on wages and social insurance from domestic enterprises and foreign invested firms operating in the apparel and electronics sectors in the northern provinces of Thai Nguyen, Ninh Binh and Hung Yen. The comments can be used for dialogues on the minimum wage increases in 2017 held in quarter three this year.

Huan said it is difficult to seek a consensus from the parties concerned on the 2017 minimum wage rises. The parties should talk more to find proper solutions to gradually improve the living conditions of workers.

Earlier, Mai Duc Chinh, vice president of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, sent documents to provincial and municipal labor federations, central labor union and corporations urging a stronger supervision of implementation of the Government’s Decree 122/2015/ND-CP on the minimum wage increases for 2016.

Earlier, after several rounds of intense discussions, members of the National Wage Council agreed on the 2016 average minimum wage spike of 12.4% compared to 2015. The wage rise will force enterprises to pay more social insurance for workers.

SGT