HCM CITY — Many businesses in HCM City resumed operations on Thursday, the first day after a week-long Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, though most companies at export processing zones and industrials parks remain closed this week.

Because the holiday ended on Wednesday, many employees used their annual leave to have a full week off and will return to the city on Sunday or early next week.   

Lê Quốc Hoè, a worker at the Organ Needle Việt Nam Co., Ltd located in Tân Thuận Export Processing Zone in District 7, is among those who arrived early on the first day after the holiday.

Hoè said he did not return to his hometown for Tết so he decided to work on the first day after the holiday as regulated by the company.

“On the first day, we were excited as we received lucky money and wishes from the company’s leaders,” he said.

Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Hoà, chairwoman of the trade union for Organ Needle Việt Nam Co., Ltd, said on the first day, around 90 per cent of workers went back to work, with the rest expected to return to work a few days later because their hometowns were far away.

Many workers at Bình Minh Plastic Joint-Stock Company in District 6 began work on Thursday after an informal meeting with company leaders.

Bông Hoa Việt, manager of the administrative department of the company, said more than 1,000 workers had returned to work on the first day after the holiday.

Phạm Văn Kiên, a mechanic at the company, said workers received Tết bonuses worth VNĐ2-3 million (US$115-130).

Meanwhile, few businesses in export processing zones and industrial parks in the city resumed operation on the first day after the holiday, according to the HCM City Export Processing Zone and Industrial Park Authority (HEPZA).

Nguyễn Thành Đô, chairman of the trade union at HEPZA, said that many businesses allowed their workers to take off until the end of this week.

Most businesses at export processing zones and industrial parks will not resume operation until next week (Feb 6), Đô said. 

Cù Phát Nghiệp, chairman of the trade union at the Taiwanese-owned Pouyen Việt Nam Co. Ltd, said that only several departments resumed operation on Friday, and other departments would resume operation next week.

“According to the company’s regulation, workers whose hometowns are far from the city will have one to four extra days of holiday off, so all of the workers will be back to work on February 10,” Nghiệp said.

HCM City will face only a 3 per cent shortage of labour after the holiday, with the rate of labour transfer 15 per cent, according to the city’s Human Resources Forecast and Labour Market Information Centre.

The city is expected to offer 140,000 new jobs for labourers this year, a rise of nearly 8 per cent over last year, according to the centre. — VNS