The last 18 workers who returned home on November 25 (Source: VNA)Algiers (VNA) – The last 18 out of 49 Vietnamese workers in Algeria who wished to return home after a dispute with their Chinese employer flew home on November 25.
The workers are expected to arrive at the Hanoi-based Noi Bai International Airport at 2:40 p.m. on November 26.
The repatriation was made under an agreement signed on November 1 between Simco Song Da, the company that sent the workers to Algeria, and the Chinese employer in Algeria, Dongyi Jiangsu Co. Ltd.
Earlier, the first 13 workers landed home on November 17 and another group of 18 workers returned home three days later.
Seven workers who expressed their wish to stay in Algeria will sign a contract appendix with new norms.
To conduct the repatriation, Simco Song Da has to pay 1,700 USD per worker to compensate its Chinese partner. The amount is equal to what each Vietnamese worker has to refund to their employer to end their contract ahead of schedule.
In early October, Vietnamese workers contracted to work for Dongyi Jiangsu Co. Ltd at a construction site in Khenchela province, more than 460 km east of Algiers, called for help after being beaten by their employer.
Under the contract, the workers should be paid based on working days and on a monthly basis. However, when they arrived in Algeria, the Chinese employer wanted to change to piecework payment.
After the Vietnamese workers opposed the change, they were assaulted by the Chinese employer on September 16.
Two workers, Dau Hoang Anh and Dao Ngoc Cuong, were injured during the assault.
Simco Song Da is due to have a working session with the Vietnamese workers who returned home ahead of contract expiry on December 16.-VNA
