Foreign factory fires Taiwanese manager, vows to improve workers' rights after revolt

A textile factory in southern Vietnam has pledged to replace its Taiwanese HR manager following a strike involving 1,000 workers on Monday against rules that ban pregnant women from bringing milk and limit the food and water employees can bring to work.

Workers at Indonesian-owned Mei Sheng Textiles in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province said the HR manager, who took the post a month ago, had imposed rules that “affected our basic needs.”

They said the parking area is nearly a two-minute walk from the factory, and they were not allowed to wear coats.

Workers said the lunch provided by canteen was also of poor quality, and that their break time had been strictly controlled and working hours extended.

Anyone violating the rules received a 10 percent pay cut and 20 percent on the second offense, and got fired on the third violation, the workers said. The manager stood at the gate to check them every morning, they said.

“We feel really tired and stressed,” a worker said.

Narasimha Rao, the director of the company’s external affairs department, told local authorities that the company would replace the HR manager. Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported that the manager had left the factory on Monday morning.

Rao, an Indian, guaranteed that all the workers’ requests about bringing food, water and coats will be met. He said their lunch quality would also be improved.

All strikes in Vietnam are wildcat with disgruntled workers demanding better pay and working conditions and protesting against overtime.