Vietnam

More than 10,000 workers at a factory that produces Nike shoes in southern Vietnam went on strike on 27 November to demand higher supplemental pay and better lunches.

On 3 December, it was reported that the striking workers have returned to the plant after receiving a pay increase of 70,000 Vietnamese dong (US$ 4.50) monthly transportation allowance. The company also agreed to improve the food at the factory cafeteria.

The workers at South Korean-owned TaeKwang Vina Co, located in Dong Nai province about 60 kilometres north of Ho Chi Minh City, started the strike at lunchtime on 27 November, said Kieu Minh Sinh, an official of the provincial Labour Federation.

Groups of workers had sent letters to the management board in recent months containing a variety of demands, but management had taken no action, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.

The demands originally included severance pay, more sick days, holiday bonuses and improved lunches at the company cafeteria.

TaeKwang Vina Co, established in 1994 with investment capital of more than US$ 38 million, produces shoes exclusively for US-based Nike. The company now has more than 14,000 workers.