QUẢNG TRỊ — Coastal central Quảng Trị Province is paying attention to labour export to address challenges faced by locals who suffered from the consequences of last year’s environmental incident.

According to the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, following the incident up till May this year, nearly 500 labourers from four districts -- Hải Lăng, Triệu Phong, Gio Linh and Vĩnh Linh -- went overseas as part of labour export to markets such as South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Malaysia.

Gio Việt Commune, Gio Linh District, in particular, saw a large number of locals going overseas following the incident. In 2016, there were more than 150 labourers who were sent abroad.

In the first five months of this year alone, 67 labourers were sent to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, mainly through the job exchange programme of the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. Nguyễn Văn Thọ, 48, a fisherman in the commune, incurred enormous losses due to the incident last year, with his family facing huge challenges since he was unable to go fishing.

Upon receiving support from local authorities, Thọ sent his son and daughter to Japan and Taiwan for work. Currently, they send home nearly VNĐ40 million (US$1,780) per month.

“My son and daughter have stable jobs and have helped the family pay debts and resume production,” Thọ said.

Nearly 100 locals from Cửa Việt Town, Gio Linh District, also went abroad to work in the first half of this year, with average wages reaching more than VNĐ20 million ($890) per month per person.

Nguyễn Văn Hai, a resident of the town, said earlier only a few people went overseas for work. Since the environmental incident, most of the families in the area have at least one member, some even three to four, working overseas.

According to Trần Đình Cảm, chairman of Cửa Việt Town’s People’s Committee, following the environmental disaster, local authorities have taken significant measures to help locals shift their means of livelihood and supported them with jobs to resume production and stabilise lives.

Labour export has contributed to the province’s socio-economic development; however, it has also resulted in labour shortage in the province.

Local authorities are, therefore, studying measures to ensure a balance between labour supply and demand.

Dương Thị Hải Yến, deputy director of the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said the department has introduced professional training courses and dialogues between State management agencies and labour export enterprises so that locals increase their awareness about labour export.

The department has co-operated with the provincial job centre to introduce and provide free consultation to labourers and support fishermen with loans to go overseas. — VNS