Take care of shift meals and share with workers

BAC NINH - The quality of shift meals is not only important in improving the health of workers but also helps businesses increase productivity from the trust and dedication of each worker. Therefore, the trade union organization in the enterprise always pays attention to improving the value of meals, improving the effectiveness of supervision by the grassroots trade union, especially including the content of ensuring the quality of shift meals in the collective labor agreement.

Increase value, ensure nutrition

Currently, in the province, there are 23 industrial parks in operation with nearly 1,800 production and business enterprises, creating jobs for more than 550,000 workers. With the motto "Labor health is a vital factor", although there are still many difficulties, most enterprises are interested in and prioritize resources to increase the value of workers' meals (mostly from 20,000 VND/meal or more; some enterprises apply the level of 30-35,000 VND/meal). To ensure nutritional value, the meal menu is changed weekly, with a variety of dishes and is publicly announced, with close supervision by representatives of the grassroots trade union.

Italisa Vietnam Limited Company improves shift meals for workers, contributing to increased labor productivity.

Italisa Vietnam Co., Ltd., Song Khe - Noi Hoang Industrial Park (specializing in manufacturing high-end sanitary equipment) always pays attention to improving the quality of shift meals for workers. From 2023, the company increased the value of meal support for more than 700 workers from 18,000 VND to 22,000 VND/meal; side meals (for overtime workers) are also worth the same as main meals; 3 meals with dessert are maintained every week. The company also invested in building a spacious, clean, air-conditioned canteen; the processing area is arranged separately. Currently, the enterprise organizes the kitchen in the form of self-cooking, without hiring outside contractors, so the stages of selecting, controlling the quality of raw materials, processing, preserving samples... are all carried out smoothly, ensuring compliance with food safety and hygiene regulations. Over the past years, the company has not had any food poisoning. “I am satisfied with the shift meals. Thanks to that, even on days when we have to work overtime, our health is still guaranteed to complete the work,” said Ms. Lang Thi Huong, a worker at the company.

At Changil Vina Co., Ltd., Hap Linh Ward (specializing in the production of electronic components), through the dialogue of the grassroots union, the employer agreed to support a meal allowance of VND 30,000/person/meal (an increase of VND 5,000/meal compared to 2024). For workers working in heavy-duty departments, pregnant women, and women raising children under 12 months old, an additional meal of VND 15,000/meal including fresh milk and cakes will be provided every day. During the peak summer season (May to the end of September every year), the company arranges iced sugar water and ice cream for workers every day.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Van, Head of Human Resources Department, President of the Company's Trade Union, said: In order to organize the kitchen and serve nearly 300 workers systematically, the trade union coordinated with the administrative department to establish a monitoring team, assign regular and surprise inspection schedules, monitor food safety and hygiene conditions; build weekly menus, ensuring the criteria of "Full - delicious - safe - nutritious".

Closely monitor and improve the quality of agreements

The Provincial Federation of Labor is managing more than 2,200 grassroots trade unions in enterprises and public service units that do not receive 100% of their salaries from the state budget with more than 579,500 union members. Of which, there are more than 1,500 grassroots trade unions in industrial zones with more than 392,000 active union members.

Implementing the program "Union Meal" directed by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor , since the beginning of the year, in the province, more than 400 grassroots unions have organized meals with a total of nearly 100,000 union members and workers benefiting, with added value reaching more than 2.4 billion VND (drawn from the union budget and mobilized from business owners and companies providing meals).

Implementing the direction of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor on "The quality of shift meals for workers", the Provincial Confederation of Labor thoroughly grasps and directs all levels of trade unions to focus on disseminating and raising awareness of business owners about the role of shift meals in production and business activities; paying more attention to inspection and supervision to ensure food safety and hygiene and contents related to the quality of shift meals at enterprises. At the same time, organizing training, guidance, and improving knowledge of food safety and hygiene for trade union officials in enterprises with 300 or more employees.

According to Mr. Hoang Van Tinh, Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the Industrial Park Trade Union (Provincial Labor Federation), 100% of grassroots trade unions in enterprises currently organize shift meals for employees in the following forms: Self-organizing on-site kitchens; hiring units to cook or provide meals, and giving money. Through review, currently 100% of grassroots trade unions propose to employers not to include other costs such as fuel, service costs, depreciation, etc. in the shift meal costs. Besides the positive changes, through inspection and supervision by trade unions, the Provincial Food Safety Department, and the Provincial Industrial Park Medical Center, there are still a few enterprises supporting meals under 18,000 VND; some collective kitchens do not ensure space; and have not done a good job in selecting food and storing samples.

Along with monitoring activities, an important solution to enhance the role of trade unions in ensuring the quality of shift meals is to include this content in the collective labor agreement. As one of the enterprises with a large number of employees (25 thousand people), Luxshare-ICT Van Trung Limited Liability Company is applying a shift meal support of 45 thousand VND/day. Accordingly, each worker (depending on the day/night shift division) will have 3 meals/day including: Breakfast (7 thousand VND); lunch (19 thousand VND); overtime meal (19 thousand VND). Workers swipe their cards after each meal. At the end of the month, the administrative department will return the remaining amount to the account corresponding to the number of actual timekeeping sessions. Pregnant female workers and those raising children under 6 months old are supplemented with fresh milk or various types of tea at each meal and there is no limit on the portion size of main dishes. Mr. Bui Van Truong, Chairman of the Company's Trade Union, said that every quarter, based on the synthesis of union members' opinions, the union will negotiate and propose to the company's leaders to adjust and supplement the contents related to workers' rights, including shift meals, into the collective labor agreement. This is the basis for the union to monitor and require the company to strictly implement.

Article and photos: Tuong Vi

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/cham-lo-bua-an-ca-chia-se-cung-cong-nhan-postid425127.bbg