LookAtVietnam –
Workers’ wages continued to increase
last year while the salary difference between professions widened, a Government
study has found.
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The
Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) did the study as a
basis for the annual adjustment in regional minimum wages under a roadmap to
achieve a single minimum wage for each industry.
It
polled more than 1,580 businesses with at least 10 workers and more than 14,450
workers in various industries, Tong Thi Minh, head of MoLISA’s Department of
Labour and Wages told Kinh Te Hop Tac Viet Nam (Viet Nam Cooperative Economy)
newspaper.
The
study was done in 15 cities and provinces that represent the country’s eight
economic regions, she said.
The
average monthly salary paid by businesses and enterprises was VND3.2 million, a
10.3 per cent increase over 2009.
Workers
in private and State companies got VND3.3 million, an 8.6 per cent rise.
Public
servants got the highest pay at VND3.8 million, a 10 per cent rise.
Foreign
companies hiked wages by 11 per cent to VND3 million.
Private
businesses paid the smallest salary, VND2.7 million, but offered the highest
increase of 12.5 per cent.
Miners
and metallurgists were among the highest paid workers with VND9.2 million.
The
banking and medical sectors followed with VND7.6 million and VND7 million
respectively.
Electronics and telecom companies also paid well â VND5.5 million.
Workers
in sectors using manual labour, like garment, leather and footwear, food
processing, received the lowest wages of VND2.1 million-2.3 million.
Salary gap widens
Salary
gaps too rose, the Ministry said.
The gap
in wages between managers and staff at foreign companies, which used to be a
factor of 10 in 2006, doubled to 20 times.
The gap
at State-owned companies was seven to eight times.
This
increasing difference in salaries between professions and positions meant
employers paid greater attention to effectiveness, Minh explained.
It is
essential for State companies to continue with their review of labour policies
and regulations to ensure appropriate payment for the quality and quantity of
work done, he said.
This
year, under the roadmap for reform of wages and social insurance policies in the
2008-12 period, MoLISA will develop a model for adjusting regional minimum wages
based on the gross domestic product, consumer price index, and the increase in
wages.
It will
be submitted to the Government for approval and introduced next year, Minh
added.
VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News