To arrange the temporary accommodation for workers to prevent epidemics

Ocean Coatings (Vietnam) Company Limited (Based in Long Thanh District) installs temporary accommodation for workers

According to Dong Nai Industrial Zones Authority, in the complicated epidemic situation in localities, especially neighboring provinces and cities, some enterprises have suggested the initiative that let employees to stay and work right in the enterprises for a certain period of time. Accordingly, the Provincial People's Committee has a document to agree at the request of Dong Nai Industrial Zones Authority on the implementation of the plan for 3 enterprises to arrange employees to work, eat, and temporarily stay at enterprises to ensure production and business activities and prevent the Covid-19 epidemic in enterprises. These three enterprises are Ocean Coatings (Vietnam) Company Limited (Long Thanh District), Shinpoong Daewoo Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Bien Hoa City), and Viet Nam GreenFeed Joint Stock Company - Dong Nai branch (Trang Bom District).

Regarding the arrangement of temporary accommodation for workers, businesses are expected to arrange in empty areas of the company such as meeting rooms, empty factory areas, offices, installing containers and renovating temporary rooms, etc. However, in order to effectively implement this option, the temporary accommodation areas must ensure fire prevention and fighting conditions, meet the criteria for disease prevention, and be separated from production places, ensure the distance, divide the number of temporary workers appropriately. Enterprises provide a full range of facilities and supplies for daily life of their workers as well as fully implement the benefits for employees.

According to Mr. Pham Van Cuong, Deputy Head of Dong Nai Industrial Zones Authority, the arrangement of temporary accommodation for workers staying at enterprises is to proactively prevent epidemics, detect the patient, identity and minimize the number of employees infected, and have the quick response plan to avoid the epidemic from spreading to the community as well as from the community to enterprises. Along with that, ensuring the goal of anti-epidemic, while ensuring production and business activities of the company, and ensuring a safe working environment for all workers working at the enterprise.

In addition, before implementing the plan to arrange temporary accommodation for employees, enterprises have to register with Dong Nai Industrial Zones Authority. Dong Nai Industrial Zones Authority will consider the actual conditions and conduct registration for the business to arrange the temporarily accommodation at the enterprise. The temporary accommodation place must be separate from the production area, the entry and exit of those employees must be strictly controlled in terms of medical temporary residence and have a manager at the temporary residence. "In the coming time, it is forecasted that the demand for living and working in Dong Nai will increase if the Covid-19 epidemic is still increasing and complicated," emphasized Mr. Cuong.

According to Mr. Cuong, Dong Nai Industrial Zones Authority has learned many lessons from Industrial Zones in provinces of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh and conducted anti-epidemic plans at the highest level. Solutions for zoning of epidemic and, epidemic prevention are continuously maintained. Dong Nai Industrial Zones Authority has also advised the Provincial People's Committee on a plan to coordinate and integrate with the epidemic prevention and control steering committees of districts and towns in the province to raise the alert level to the highest level to prevent the risk of disease spreading.

Enterprises agree on temporary accommodation with employees

In order to prevent the risk of disease transmission in industrial zones, at a recent meeting, the Provincial People's Committee as well as departments, sectors and localities with a large concentration of workers agreed with the proposal suggested by Dong Nai Industrial Zones Authority on arrangement of temporary accommodation for workers at enterprises. However, in order to achieve high results, it is necessary to pay attention, create favorable conditions and agreement between enterprises and employees in the arrangement of work, accommodation, and satisfactory policies during the temporary stay of employees in the enterprises. Some opinions were suggested that before arranging temporary accommodation, employees must be tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, Director of the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that it is very important and urgent to arrange temporary accommodation for employees at enterprises at present time. However, enterprises must have specific plans and appropriate work arrangements. In addition, the enterprises’ trade unions should regularly supervise the temporary stay of enterprises and employees. Dong Nai Industrial Zones Authority should have specific instructions to enterprises so that the temporary accommodation of workers can meet the requirements of epidemic prevention, while ensuring the social benefits for employees.

Representing for Provincial Trade Union, Vice Chairman of the Provincial Confederation of Labor, Mr. Tang Quoc Lap said that the Provincial Confederation of Labor strongly agreed with the plan to arrange temporary accommodation for employees at enterprises to prevent the epidemic. However, enterprises have to ensure a minimum living space for employees to eat, drink, rest and meet the entertainment needs of employees. Along with that, it is necessary to arrange the works, environment-friendly accommodation based on the agreement between the employees and the commitment of the enterprise as well as the enterprises’ trade unions. In addition, it is necessary to ensure strict and higher epidemic prevention and control at temporary accommodation areas to ensure the health and safety of workers as well as the production situation of enterprises.

According to the agencies above, before arranging temporary accommodation, the enterprises should recommend and negotiate with employees, especially Ho Chi Minh City workers staying temporarily in the enterprises based in the Industrial Zones of Dong Nai Province. At the same time, always prepare solutions and scenarios if the case of F1 occurs. Enterprises have to determine options to both fight the epidemic, produce and do business, because if an infected case occurs in the company, the damage will be much greater than the cost to prevent the epidemic.

Phong Lan​