Vietnamese footwear workers went on strike for a second day on Friday at a factory near Ho Chi Minh City over new penalties for missing work, a trade union representative said.
The factory, owned by the Taiwanese Pou Chen company, counts global brands Adidas and Nike as clients.
“Only 20 per cent out of more than 20,000 workers are still working at the factory right now, and the rest have left to go back home,” said Doan Van Day, deputy chairman of the government-controlled Dong Nai province’s trade union.
“The negotiation is taking place and the company is modifying the content of its response,” he said.
Strikes are illegal in Vietnam; they lack support from the leadership of the trade unions, which are entirely controlled by the single-party communist state.
Officials of Pou Chen contacted by newsmen confirmed the strike but refused to comment further because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
According to a report, the company regulations can strip employees of cash bonuses and allowances for missing a day of work without permission.
Observers say that even missing work with permission will accumulate negative points toward losing those kind of perks.
Vietnam is famous for cheap labour for western clothing and footwear companies. (Reuters/NAN)
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