Centre helps 800 disabled workers

More than 800 residents with disabilities have found jobs so far this year thanks to the HCM City Support Centre for Vocational Training and Job Promotion for Disabled People.

Furthermore, the centre has provided training in tailoring, motorbike repairs, make-up and other areas for nearly 800 other people with disabilities.

The centre is also co-operating with authorities in wards and villages to help more people access its training courses.

According to a report prepared by the centre, HCM City now has about 15,000 working-age people with disabilities, accounting for one per cent of the population. Nearly 40 per cent of these have jobs, but only 25 per cent have permanent ones.

"Finding jobs for people with disabilities in HCM City is still a tough task," said Nguyen Thi Nhung, the centre's deputy director.

Typically they have less education and their disabilities make it difficult for them to obtain vocational training in several areas, according to Nhung.

It is also difficult for them to thrive in working environments that emphasize productivity.

Many businesses like Dien Quang Fluorescent Lamp Co., 27-7 Company and Anh Sang Electronics and several handicraft makers are ready to employ workers with disabilities, the report noted.

However, there is limited policy support for businesses that employ workers with disabilities, it added. "The city should offer preferential tax policies to businesses that employ people with disabilities," said Le Thi Cam, an official of the 27-7 Company in Binh Tan District.

A recent survey by the city's Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Department found that many people with disabilities are reluctant to work at firms having offices in high-rise buildings or in factories in suburban areas.

It said that with average salaries of between VND2.5 million (US$119) and VND3 million ($142.8) a month, most workers with disabilities lead a difficult life.

Bank to help students with financial plans

An orientation programme on financial planning to help students acquire knowledge and skills to build a financial plan and on making the right career decisions organised by HSBC Bank Vietnam and the Vietnam National University has begun.

Around 3,000 third-year students from the university are expected to benefit, learning about saving, using credit cards prudently, insurance products, and even investments and risks.

Nordic NGO supports climate change adaptation

Nordic Assistance to Vietnam (NAV) has assisted Thua Thien-Hue province to undertake a project on climate change adaptation and mitigation in Phong Binh commune in 2011-2012.

To date, the project, costing nearly VND2 billion, has met the set target of reducing the vulnerability of the poor and others in the community affected by climate change.

It has assisted locals to build biogas tanks, design energy-saving gas cookers, and run training courses on how to use the biogas tanks and gas cookers.

It has also supported project beneficiaries in processing fuel and micro-biological fertilisers from agricultural by-products, and developing mushroom growing models to improve their livelihood.

Nguyen Ngoc Khanh, Vice Chairman of the Phong Binh Commune People’s Committee, said the project has helped increase the quality and productivity of the local livestock breeding industry, especially in raising pigs.

More importantly, local people now know how to build and use biogas tanks and gas cookers efficiently, he said.

In 2012 alone, the project has developed four mushroom growing models, bringing initial results to households.

Phong Binh, a low lying commune in Phong Dien district, is flooded every year. Hundreds of local people are forced to move to higher ground during the flooding season.       

Established in 1994, Nordic Assistance to Vietnam, a non-governmental organisation, gives social and humanitarian assistance to Vietnam.

Vietnam is severely affected by climate change and rising sea levels. Statistics show that 39 percent of the Mekong Delta and more than 20 percent of HCM City would be flooded by the end of this century if sea levels rise by one metre.

More than 10 percent of the Red Delta and 2.5 percent of the central region would be also affected by the adverse weather phenomenon.

Traffic police called to act properly in year-end crack down

Traffic police found to be abusing their powers during the year-end campaign to crack down on traffic violations would be strictly punished.

The order was made by the Ministry of Public Security to ease foreseen traffic chaos during the calendar New Year and Tet (that falls in February next year).

The crackdown will be carried out from December 16 to March 15 next year.

Police will use new equipment to supervise traffic which will also help to reduce the number of personnel needed on the streets.

Local police were reminded to work hard to help lower the number of traffic accidents by 5-10 per cent during the last three months of the year as previously urged by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Nguyen Dinh Anh, a traffic policeman in Ha Noi, said punishing police who behaved badly was necessary and reasonable.

A number of online newspapers have recently published stories about traffic police who take bribes and fail to follow proper procedures when punishing those who break traffic laws.

"This gives the police a bad public image, and punishing them should help to improve the situation," he said.

Leaders of districts and municipal traffic police departments should carry out spot checks to enforce this new regulation, said Anh.

Members of the public who are subject to this sort of behaviour should report it to local authorities, he added.

In the first nine months of this year, 48 out of 63 provinces and cities in the country reported a 10 per cent fall in traffic fatalities, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee.

Resort chain plants trees at schools

Victoria Can Tho Resort planted hundreds of trees last Saturday at schools in Can Tho, Cai Rang town, and Hau Giang Province as part of its "Green Day" campaign.

The event included a game show to raise awareness of healthy environmental practices. For the last eight years the Victoria chain of hotels and resorts has been celebrating Green Day to promote environmental protection, Vo Xuan Thu, general manager of the resort, said.

Victoria also has resorts in Hoi An, Phan Thiet, Chau Doc, Sa Pa, and Siem Reap in Cambodia, where Green Day is celebrated on the same day.

Talks focus on labour relations

The Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry yesterday held a conference in HCM City to discuss a project to improve labour relations carried out by American NGO Fair Labor Association.

It was attended by industry executives from the south and officials from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and Viet Nam General Confederation of Labor besides other government agencies, all stake holders in the project.

The meeting saw them exchange information and experiences in implementing the project.

The two-year project, funded by the US Department of State, seeks to promote sustainable corporate social responsibility in Viet Nam at 50 industries.

Since its launch in April, it has roped in 23 (16 apparel and seven footwear) factories, nine of which joined on their own, Dang Thi Hai Ha, the project's consultant, said.

The factories are committed to pursuing the planned objectives and receive technical support.

The programme is being implemented in Ha Noi and Hai Duong and Thai Binh Provinces in the north, and the three southern provinces of Binh Duong, Long An, and Dong Nai.

It focuses on fair wages, hours of work, and labour relations.

FLA will seek to sign up the remaining 27 factories next February.

Following the conference there was a three-day training programme for the company executives on labour relations.

Unhygienic firms improve standards

All of the 46 local enterprise collective canteens which were inspected and fined for providing unhygienic food this year have improved their standards, according to Dong Nai Province's Food Safety Department.

Earlier, inspections revealed 26 large scale canteens (serving more than 200 workers) had violated food safety and hygiene standards, leading to fines of up to VND88 million (US$4,190).

Since then, all of the offending canteens have repaired their kitchens, refectories and furniture, subsequently obtaining certificates for food safety and hygiene.

Rail fare rise to hit Tet holidaymakers

North-south rail commuters will face a maximum fare hike of 3-5 per cent on popular journeys between January 25 to March 3, the Viet Nam Railways Corporation said yesterday.

The increase, which was also imposed last year, is supposed to compensate for expenditure on trains that have fewer passengers and encourage people to travel on less crowed trains during off-peak times.

Viet Nam Railways will put an additional 20 trains into service to meet the increasing demand during Tet.

Earthquake victims receive handouts

Families affected by a series of recent earthquakes near Song Tranh 2 Hydropower Plant will receive more than VND3.7 billion (US$118,000) in compensation to cover the cost of damage repair, according to the plant's management board.

Electricity of Viet Nam – the plant's investor – will support repairs for 856 houses and eight public works at a cost of VND4 million ($190) and VND30 million ($1,400) for each respective unit.

Another VND1.2 billion ($57,000) will also be spent on repairing household water supply systems and 300 metres of inner traffic routes in the resettlement areas.

The People's Committee has approved the list of affected families, who will receive the aid as soon as possible.

PM promotes ways to curb spending, waste

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has urged all Government agencies, including State owned corporations, to embrace thriftiness and strive to reduce waste.

A recent instruction signed by the PM strongly emphasised the need for frugality and efficiency to stretch the State budget and ensure the nation has more funding for investment development, social security and other urgent tasks. He ordered leaders from all agencies to review and tighten their financial controls to make sure expenditures in their offices are fully compliant with financial regulations.

"It is strictly prohibited to allocate additional money from the State budget to buy cars, organise conferences/workshops or go on unnecessary trips inside or outside the country," Dung said.

He also asked ministries and offices to organise online year end meetings and conferences to formulate socio-economic development plans for 2013.

All ministries and other Government agencies must make quarterly reports on the implementation of their action plans for practising thrift and combating waste to the Ministry of Finance, 10 days before the end of the quarter.

VNN/VOV/VNS