Labour shortage at rubber plantations in Central Highlands

As rubber prices have risen, rubber plantations in the Central Highlands have faced labour shortages after many were fired as the sector suffered in the past.

Rubber plantations in need of workers

Pham Cong Quoc, head of Ia Puch 1 Plantation under Quang Duc Gia Lai Company, said they were planning to expand the plantation from 450 hectares to 600 hectares. They are struggling to find enough workers in recent months.

"We need 140 more workers. But Ia Puch is a border commune and doesn't have a huge population," Quoc said.

Ia Puch has over 10,000 hectares of rubber trees, one of the largest in the Central Highland. Most of the land was converted in 2007-2010 from poor forest with low timber volume. It's estimated that it would need 6,000 labourers to work the whole area.

Quoc said locals can only satisfy 30% of the demand. The company is asking for help from provincial authorities to hire people from other provinces. Its priority is to provide jobs to ethnic people in accordance with the government's directives, then encouraging families of officials to join the rubber industry and finding workers in neighbouring provinces.

Leaders of Quang Duc Gia Lai Company promised to provide full benefits and bonuses and limited extra shifts. The company said they would also build dormitories and cafeteria for the labourers.

Le Van Thanh, vice head of Gia Lai Province Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs admitted that there were labour shortages. "The ethnic often don't want to live too far from their families and villages. Moreover, they worry about the harsh living condition in the remote areas near the borders at where most plantations are set up."

Despite the surge in rubber prices, the wages and bonuses for the labourers are not attractive enough. Thanh thinks that the companies are entitled to hire labourers from other provinces for the production and ensure the business growth.

Gia Lai Province has nearly 30,000 hectares of rubber trees. As the tapping period comes, they need a huge number of workers. The province needs a solution to meet demands from enterprises and support the local labourers with job opportunities before getting help from other provinces