Thousands of workers have reportedly returned to work at a factory that
makes shoes for Nike, Inc. after management agreed to provide a monthly
transportation allowance.
According to the Associated Press, strikes in the country have become
more common recently as inflation – now at 9.5% – has risen. The
average monthly salary at the South Korean-owned plant is $62, about
20% more than the minimum wage. The allowance was pegged at US
$4.50, or 70,00 Vietnamese dong, according to a factory manager quoted
by the AP. He also said the South Korean company that owns the
plant has agreed to improve the food at the factory.
The workers, who produce approximately 10% of the 75 million pairs of
shoes made for Nike in Vietnam annually, had called a strike last week,
seeking more pay, bonuses and cost of living allowances.
The plant in Dong Nai, near Ho Chi Minh city, employs some 14,000 people.
“We are pleased that factory management and workers were able to openly
discuss grievances and quickly reach resolution,” commented Chris
Helzer, a Nike spokesman, Monday in the AP report.
