Vietnamese intellectuals and Catholic clergymen appeal for workers' rights
Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) An appeal in favour of democracy and human rights signed by Vietnamese intellectuals and Catholic clergymen has been going around Vietnam. The plea was made in support of workers who have gone on strike several times in the last few months.
One of the signatories told AsiaNews that according to Art. 56 of the 1992 constitution, the "State shall enact policies and establish regimes for the protection of labour [. . .] it shall encourage and promote other forms of social insurance for the benefit of the working people" but in reality "these rights are all on paper. So far nothing has been done for workers".
"I am just making 700,000 dong per month (about US$ 45)," said a woman working in the Thu Duc industrial zone. "Women workers," she added, "face a lot of discriminations in the factory. Working conditions are unsafe and every day we breathe lead-rich toxic gases from battery production,"
For Catholic workers the situation is even worse. Since 1975, they have not been able to celebrate Christmas or Easter in the southern part of the country and have been denied the right to join unions of their choice.
"If we go on strike we are either fired or threatened," said another woman worker.
Towards the end of last year state-owned and foreign companies were hit by strikes. Rising labour unrest is a clear warning that workers can no longer put up with inhumane working conditions and accept unjust behaviour by their employers.
In the Second Vatican Council the Catholic Church asserted that society has a practical duty to help citizens find employment and guarantee them adequate remuneration for work performed in society that is in line with what is fair in cultural and human development terms. It also stressed that economic results are the outcome of co-operation between people.
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29/08/2005
21/04/2005
