8/6/2019 Child Labor Article, Tuoi Tre Newspaper June 2011

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Kids degrading workplace

Tuoi Tre Newspaper, June 13, 2011:

http://tuoitre.vn/Chinh-tri-Xa-hoi/442109/Nhung-xuong-%E2%80%9Chanh-xac%E2%80%9D-tre-

tho.html

A sewing workshop at 98/14 Do Thua Luong, Group 2, Tan Phu Precinct, Tan Phu District, is

built by iron sheets. This workshop has 5- 6 laborers, of which there are 3 kids from 10-15

years old and 2 older girls.

Clothes imbued with sweat

At 12pm on 28 April 2011, neighbors still hear the swearing:

F***! When you finish, you can eat.

When you sew enough buttons for 14 troubles, I will let you have a rest!

At the middle of the night, children who look like racks of bone are still toiling away under

continuous scolding from their boss, named Dien.

Late at night, the children gradually disappear under the higher and higher piles of clothes.

The youngest child is named Hieu. He is so skinny, like the other kids in this workplace, and

always works without a shirt to escape the heat. Hieu says he has been working here since

the beginning of the year; because of his young age, his job is to fold clothes which have

just been sewn by the other kids.

From April to June 2011, when Tuoi Tre journalists came to record images and footage, we

saw that Hieu works until midnight every day. Information gathered from the neighbors

indicates that children are regularly forced to working extra shifts until 2-3 A.M by their

boss, Mr Dien. According to our inspection, most kids here from northern provinces and are

paid several million VND each year. [about $150US].

The livelihood of poor children.

Walking through many alleys, we arrived at a sewing workshop without a house number in

Alley 24, Group 6, Tan Hung Thuan Precinct, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City. The owner of the

workshop is a twenty one year old man, name Nguyen Mong; he said that thanks to his

acquaintance with some rural families, he contacts parents to arrange the recruitment of

their children. At the end of year, he gives the children their annual salary.

In the afternoon, in spite of the rain, the 30m2 workplace rented by Mong is still hot and

stuffy. Among the piles of clothes and fabric, Nguyen Loc (13 years old) is naked to his

waist, but completely wrapped up with his cutting fabric as he works on the floor. As with

other kids in this workshop, he has not been provided with any information about his salary

or bonuses; he only knows that he must work early in the morning and finish at 12 pm,

when he can sleep with the other kids after another exhausting day.

http://tuoitre.vn/Chinh-tri-Xa-hoi/442109/Nhung-xuong-%E2%80%9Chanh-xac%E2%80%9D-tre-tho.htmlhttp://tuoitre.vn/Chinh-tri-Xa-hoi/442109/Nhung-xuong-%E2%80%9Chanh-xac%E2%80%9D-tre-tho.htmlhttp://tuoitre.vn/Chinh-tri-Xa-hoi/442109/Nhung-xuong-%E2%80%9Chanh-xac%E2%80%9D-tre-tho.htmlhttp://tuoitre.vn/Chinh-tri-Xa-hoi/442109/Nhung-xuong-%E2%80%9Chanh-xac%E2%80%9D-tre-tho.html

8/6/2019 Child Labor Article, Tuoi Tre Newspaper June 2011

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In an embroidery factory located at 42/60/107 Ho Dac Di, Tay Thanh Precinct, Tan Phu

District Ho Chi Minh City, there are 20 laborers between the ages of 13 and 16. They come

from Bac Giang and Bac Ninh Provinces. While controlling the embroidery machine, Nguyen

Van Manh (13 years old) said: I start working at 7 in the morning, have lunch at 12

oclock, and continue working at 2 P.M until 7 p.m. I am allowed to have a rest for a while

and then keep working until midnight.

Manh is the first-born child in his family. His parents are farmers in Mao Dien Commune,

Thuan Thanh, Bac Ninh Province. With agreement from his parents, Manh traveled to the

South to earn a living. Two other kids, Nguyen Xuan Nam (13 years old) and Ninh Van Dinh,

also from Bac Ninh Province, work with Manh in the factory.

The children suffer poor living conditions. Both boys and girls live together in the workplace

and share a cramped and hot room which is mainly used to store fabric. Mr. Nguyen Xuan

Quang, the owner of the tailor workshop, explained: Salaries of these children are paid

annually. The lowest payment for a child is 10 million dong each year. [about $500]. The

agreement was negotiated with their parents before hiring them.

Around this area, not only Mr. Quang takes advantage of child laborers in his workshop;

there are at least 3 or 4 more such workshops. In a shoe factory at Group 6, Tan Hung

Thuan Precinct, District 12, Tong Van Sang, a child aged 11 has to work from 8 in the

morning until 1 or 2 the next morning for just 700,000 dong each month - a tiny amount of

payment. [about $30US].

What do local authorities say?

Ms. Duong Thi Cam Thu Vice chairman of People Committee in Tan Quy Precinct, Tan Phu

District:

We always ask factories to sign a commitment to not use child labor every year. However,in fact this situation still exits and is very difficult to resolve. Most factories have one to

three children working. When we come to inquire, they say these kids serve an

apprenticeship. Therefore all we can do is ask the local police to monitor.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hong, vice chairman of People Committee in Tan Hung Thuan Precinct,

District 12:

At present, there are some workshops which are taking advantage of child labor in our area.

However, when we ask, they tell us that these kids are their relations or work as a maid for

their family.