Some ship builders have been making ships that are not good enough for fishermen.

They had their boats for only a short while when they started to give problems.

Now, they want money from the ship building company to make up for their losses.

The fishermen are from the central coastal province of Bình Định.

BÌNH ĐỊNH — Fishermen in the south central coastal province of Bình Định have asked two companies to pay compensation for damage to their new steel ships.

Phan Trọng Hổ, director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said 19 fishermen families have sent a proposal to the department asking Nam Triệu and Đại Nguyên Dương companies in the northern province of Nam Định for compensation of VNĐ45.6 billion (more than US$2 million), zing.vn reported.

In June this year, the two shipbuilders were found to be violating shipbuilding contracts, delivering dozens of substandard steel fishing ships to the fishermen. 

The fishermen claimed their new steel ships built in accordance with Decree 67 of the Government were damaged after only a short time of use and they have laid on the shore while waiting for repairs for the past nine months.

Hổ said 14 families asked Nam Triệu One Member Limited Company to pay VNĐ36.5 billion and five other families asked Đại Nguyên Dương Co., Ltd to compensate them with more than VNĐ9 billion.

The two businesses are expected to respond to the proposal on Friday. The department will let the two sides negotiate to reach a deal.

“If negotiations fail, the department will instruct fishermen to sue the shipbuilding companies on the basis of the signed contract. The Bình Định Lawyer Association is also ready to support and protect the interests of the fishermen for free," Hổ said.

According to the fishermen, the compensation includes the costs of repair, hiring of labourers, towing vessels, damaged seafood, profits lost and principal and interest payments to banks.

Earlier, on November 30, the department organised a meeting between the fishermen and representatives of the two enterprises. At this meeting, 19 steel ship owners asked the two companies to compensate them with VNĐ37 billion. Later, they recalculated the damages and asked the companies for an extra VNĐ8.6 billion in compensation.

Trần Châu, vice chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the two shipbuilders had agreed to pay some damages to the fishermen. However, the companies said they would need to review the amount and items on the compensation list.

The province would hold a meeting to resolve the problem in the near future, Châu said. — VNS

GLOSSARY

Fishermen in the south central coastal province of Bình Định have asked two companies to pay compensation for damage to their new steel ships.

Compensation is a payment that is made to make up for something you have lost.

Phan Trọng Hổ, director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said 19 fishermen families have sent a proposal to the department asking Nam Triệu and Đại Nguyên Dương companies in the northern province of Nam Định for compensation of VNĐ45.6 billion (more than US$2 million), zing.vn reported.

A proposal is an idea that is put forward for a possible project.

In June this year, the two shipbuilders were found to be violating shipbuilding contracts, delivering dozens of substandard steel fishing ships to the fishermen. 

To violate an agreement means to do something that is against that agreement.

Contracts are agreements.

Dozens are multiples of twelve, although it can simply mean “many”.

Substandard means “not good enough”.

The two businesses are expected to respond to the proposal on Friday. The department will let the two sides negotiate to reach a deal.

To respond means to reply.

To negotiate means to enter discussions with someone with the idea of reaching an agreement.

According to the fishermen, the compensation includes the costs of repair, hiring of labourers, towing vessels, damaged seafood, profits lost and principal and interest payments to banks.

Labourers are workers who do unskilled work.

Interest is money that is charged to you for money you owe to people, or banks, who lend you money for the service of lending you that money.

Earlier, on November 30, the department organised a meeting between the fishermen and representatives of the two enterprises.

Enterprises are small businesses.

Later, they recalculated the damages and asked the companies for an extra VNĐ8.6 billion in compensation.

To recalculate means to calculate something, once again. To calculate something means to work it out, usually by doing sums.

The province will hold a meeting to resolve the problem in the near future, Châu said.

To resolve a problem means to find an answer to it.

WORKSHEET

Find words that mean the following in the Word Search:

1. A word that means “twelve”.
2. The material that the ships were made from.
3. The number of families that have approached the Nam Triệu One Member Limited Company.
4. The place where substandard boats have been lying for nine months.
5. The month when it was found out that the two ship building companies had been providing fishermen with substandard boats.

ANSWERS: 1. Dozen; 2. Steel; 3. Fourteen; 4. Shore; 5. June.