Representatives of the trade union of the local industrial parks and local authority call upon a landlord to reduce rent-room price for COVID-19 pandemic affected workers in Tam Thăng Commune. —Photo baoquangnam.vn

QUẢNG NAM — Dozens of landlords have slashed room rental prices by 20-50 per cent to support hundreds of workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Tam Thăng Commune, the central province of Quảng Nam.

The move aims to respond to the call from the trade union of 19 local industrial parks and local authorities to help workers overcome difficulties triggered by the pandemic.

Mai Thị Thắng, a landlord of 12 rental rooms in the commune's Vĩnh Bình Village said she had not collected rent for several months as she knew the workers were facing many problems.

“Before the call of the trade union, I already thought of a reduction for my tenants,” she added.

Normally, it costs about VNĐ700,000 (US$30) per room each month. But Thắng said once she started collecting again, she would reduce 20 per cent of the total price, equal to VNĐ140,000 ($6), for May, June and July.

“It is just small support, but I hope it will help the tenants during a hard time,” she added.

Phan Thị Liên, a landlord of 15 rooms in Vĩnh Bình, said she also decided to cut the rent by 20 per cent, equal to VNĐ140,000 ($6) per room between May and July.

Huỳnh Thị Thuý Hoa, of Mỹ Cang Village in the commune, a landlord of 10 rooms, said she would cut the price for each room in half between April and June.

Hồ Hoa Tiến, of Phú Yên Province, a worker of Tam Thăng Industrial Park said: “I felt thankful when I heard my landlord decided to reduce the price for rented rooms.”

Tiến’s income has dramatically reduced as the company he works for had cut his working days due to the pandemic, forcing him to live on a tight budget, he said.

The landlord’s support would help reduce his financial burden, he said.

Tiến said he was grateful towards both the landlord and the trade union of the industrial park.

Nguyễn Kỳ Vĩnh, chairman of the industrial parks’ trade union, said hundreds of workers had benefited from the price reduction so far, thanks to the efforts of the trade union’s officers to visit each landlord’s house to ask them to support the workers.

Vĩnh said the trade union also planned to visit dozens of landlords’ houses in Điện Bàn Town to urge them to reduce rent.

Enterprises, especially textile enterprises, were facing serious difficulties due to the pandemic, with the shortage of raw materials and cancellation of orders forcing many to extend working hours and reduce the working days of workers, he said.

Phan Minh Á, vice chairman of the provincial Confederation of Labour, said the efforts of the trade union showed its focus on protecting labourers in the province.

Á said with these efforts of the trade union, he hoped the workers would overcome their difficulties soon. — VNS