The Life Quality of Workers in Industrial Zones of Hcmc, Vietnam

1.IntroductionSince 1986, when the Doi Moi policy (Innovation) of Vietnam Government was implemented, some pilot Export Processing Zone/Industrial Parks (EPZ/IPs) were established in Ho Chi Minh City. From the successful model of Tan Thuan EPZ in HCMC, many other EPZ/IPs were also established in HCMC and other provinces in Vietnam. Until now, HEPZA (Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority) managed 15 EPZ/IPs with more than 1,000 FDI businesses, attracting more than 274,000 employees, of which, 70% of workers come from the nearby provinces.However, currently, many foreign investment projects in the EPZ/IPs are small-scaled and focused on labor-intensive industry, such as: textiles, clothing, footwear, electronic assembly... Besides, the infrastructure of EPZ/IPs is poorly developed and the nearby areas are not developed as the same pace as the development of EPZ/IPs. Residential development was spontaneous and supporting services were not developed. Especially, there are still residents living in some EPZ/IPs.In addition, there is a lack of social infrastructure, such as accommodation, health centers, cultural centers, kindergartens, supermarkets... to serve the needs of more than 70% of migrant workers. Life of workers becomes more difficult, while the cost of living in the city is increasing and the spiritual life is so poor. In a small survey, the most reason for quitting job of these workers is the low salary. It is not enough to ensure the minimum demand in their life (2-3 million VND/month).Unstable jobs, difficulties in physical and spiritual life, low income, and high work load... are some characteristics of Vietnamese workers in EPZ/IPs. In particular, the current trade union mechanism is not effective in protecting the rights of workers. This situation leads to the increasing in the number of workers quit/switch simultaneously. Some statistics show that the rate of strikes in EPZ/IPs is also increasing annually, and there is no suitable settlement mechanism. So, it causes the bad effects on the economic growth and reduces the development of EPZ/IPs in practice.The issue of wages and consumer price index directly affect various aspects of the lives of these workers, especially laborers doing the simplest jobs. However, there are conflicting viewpoints in solving this problem from related stakeholders, such as: businesses, trade union and state authorities.Therefore, to improve the quality of life of workers, there is a need for more researches, data collection and analysis on various aspects of workers' life. These results are very necessary to help the government to make effective policies, to help business owners to stabilize their production, and to help workers to improve their quality of life, both physically and mentally.Recently, Vietnam is joining ASEAN economic community, and signing agreements with some partners, such as: TPP, EU-VN partnership. These agreements required Vietnam to pay attention on labor problems, such as: independent trade union, minimum wages, and working conditions.From the above reasons, the research about the quality of workers in HCMC is very important and necessary for businesses and the government. So, the topic "The life quality of workers in industrial zones of HCMC, Vietnam" was formed and conducted.The objective of the study is to: (1) explore the quality of life of workers in the EPZ/IPs in HCMC, and (2) suggest management implications for FDI businesses and government agencies to coordinate, and to make policy for improving the quality of life of workers.2.Literature Review2.1.The Quality of LifeThere are many different definitions of quality of life (QoL). In this research, the definition of World Health Organization is used because of its popularity. WHO (1997) defines Quality of Life as individuals' perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns. …