[Vnbiz] Troubles during crisis time

[Tran Dinh Hoanh]

Dear CACC,

For the last several days there people on queue to buy rice in Saigon, Hanoi
and various other places (but the queues appear to be gone now).  This is
the failure of the government's public information system and the economic
cops.  We have enough rice to feed the country.  Why should the people
panic?.  Probably some rice sellers out there have outmaneuvered the
government by using international information of rice shortage to spread
panic.  We need to have a better handle on educating the public on the
economic situation.  Also, the economic law enforcement needs to keep a
watchful eye on the market to prevent market manipulation and unscrupulous
characters.

Another thing we need to keep in mind is that labor strike has been on the
increase for the last several years.  That is a GOOD sign.  It shows that
our labor workers and unions are getting sophisticated and independent.
That is the sign of democratization of the country.  And when inflation is
high like now, we can expect more strikes to come---employers generally are
not as fast in increasing wages as the cost of living in their rise.  We
need to understand the nature of these upcoming strikes:  First, it is a
good sign of labor independence and sophistication. And second, it is
natural in the time of high inflation.  It is a natural mechanism for the
market to adjust wages properly.  Nothing to feel bad about.

What we want to tell the employers now is that they should be aware of the
inflation and sensitive to their workers' need to prevent  a strike.  Or if
they want to wait till a strike happens to do the wage adjustment, that is
fine.  But don't be so cheap.  Labor cost in Vietnam is very low.  I know
what I have to pay for a VN-made shirt of VN-made Nike in the US, and I
know how cheap the labor cost into those products is.  So, employers should
be told upfront about these things.

Have a great day!

Hoanh

-- 
Tran Dinh Hoanh, Esq., LLB, JD
Washington DC
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