Local businesses facing worker shortages due to COVID-19 absenteeism

For leaders of Viet Xanh agricultural processing JSC in Yen Khanh district, who are struggle to maintain their operation as their workers stay away from work voluntarily due to COVID symptoms.

Truong Gia Nghia, Director of Vietxanh company said: As normal, there are 80 - 100 labourers working in our factory. However, at present there are only over 20 labourers left. The reason is attributed to the fact that many employees exposed to COVID-19. 

To ensure the health of the whole factory's staffs, we must temporarily shut our operation. At the same time, we has asked our partners to grant extention the time and completion of signed contracts. We also asked our labourers must inform local health workers about their infections if any. 

Meanwhile, Athena footwear company in Yen Mo district faces similar problem as half of their 70,000 employees are F0 or F1 cases. This is the first time the company has struggled with severe shortage  of employees.

Vu Van Tien, Head of Athena's labour union organisation said: If there is one worker contracted with virus SarS-CoV-2, then a whole production line will be affected. Currently, the company's employee absenteeism is the most critial problem as there are a lot of contracts need to be completed.

To cope with this situation, the company struggles to maintain its operation, paying timely wages for COVID-19 workers and asking our partners for granting extention of the time of delivering.

According to province industrial zones's Labour union:  By the end of Ferbruary, there are nearly 4,600 COVID-19 infections and 500 others are F1 cases, who are staying at home for treatment and quarantine. Though many have returned to work, the number of new infections is increasing day by day. 

Province industrial zones's Labour union has asked local enterpises, businesses to continue their operations, adhere to safe management measures and encourage regular testing among employees to dampen transmission and minimise disruption to business operations.

Some companies should split team arrangements or allowing working from home amid the complicated situation of COVID-19.

Labour unions at businesses, factories should promtly implement polices assisting COVID-19 infections as regulations in an effort to encourage and calling them returning to work after recover.

Translated by Nguyen Thuy