After 6,000 workers went on wildcat at a clothing factory in Thanh Hoa province for five days last month and won most of their demands, now 8,000 workers at Venus Vietnam Footwear Ltd. have gone on wildcat over bicycle parking restrictions.
The workers walked out on Monday, picketing outside the factory in Ha Trung District, and causing delays 1A highway that runs past the factory gates until around lunchtime.
VnExpress reported that the company, which had been operating for two years, announced recently that workers would not be allowed to bring bicycles inside the factory gates. This led local bicycle parking facilities to double their rates from approx $2.2/month to $4.4/month.
“Our salary is already low and we cannot afford new expenses that keep coming up like this,” a worker named Van told VnExpress.
Workers speaking to VnExpress also mentioned that despite working hours stretching until 11pm with overtime, they were prevented from taking breaks for dinner, and the poor state of the company canteen, too hot when it's sunny and leaking when it rains.
Venus Vietnam Footwear Ltd. supply the American footwear company Tom's Shoes. Tom's advertise their shoes with the slogan "For every product you purchase, Tom's will help a person in need".
image - flickr/@iloasiapacific
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