Vietnam labor union proposes minimum wage hike, regional salary adjustments

Vietnam's General Confederation of Labor is preparing to propose adjustments to the national minimum wage and the classification of salary regions. The move aims to address inconsistencies where employees in similar economic circumstances and living in the same areas receive different minimum wages solely due to administrative boundaries.

According to Ngo Duy Hieu, Vice Chairman of the General Confederation of Labor, the organization is conducting thorough scientific and practical assessments to formulate its recommendations for the National Wage Council. The proposed increase in the minimum wage will be carefully considered, taking into account the country's socioeconomic development, the recovery capacity of businesses, and the volatile global economic and geopolitical landscape.

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The proposed increase in the minimum wage will be carefully considered, taking into account the country's socioeconomic development, the recovery capacity of businesses, and the volatile global economic and geopolitical landscape.

The confederation is also collaborating with the Ministry of Interior to refine the regional salary zone system. Hieu highlighted the current situation where workers in the same industrial park, living in the same neighborhood, and shopping in the same markets can have different minimum wages simply by crossing an administrative line. The organization has previously succeeded in advocating for the inclusion of Con Dao special administrative-economic zone in a higher salary region due to its high cost of living.

Currently, the minimum wage rates effective from January 1, 2026, are set at VND 5.31 million per month (VND 25,500 per hour) for Region 1, VND 4.73 million per month (VND 22,700 per hour) for Region 2, VND 4.14 million per month (VND 20,000 per hour) for Region 3, and VND 3.45 million per month (VND 17,800 per hour) for Region 4.

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There are actually workers working in the same industrial park, living in the same area, shopping in the same place but only differing by administrative boundaries, separated by a road, so they receive different minimum wages.