Labour unrest is caused by two factors - education and contracts, Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee vice chairman Nguyen Trung Tin said.

Speaking at an economic con¬ference coorganised by Asia News Network, a grouping of 16 Asian newspapers, Tin told more than 200 participants that workers and trade unions were not fully edu¬cated about legal rights and obligations.

But, a bigger problem leading to industrial disputes is companies not fulfilling their legal responsi¬bilities, he said.

The first quarter saw industry in the southern part of the country plagued by strikes - mostly over wages and conditions.

More than 40 industrial disputes were recorded during the period and most occurred at companies with Japanese and South Korean owners, the Labour Ministry said.

Strikes at companies with foreign ownership have come as they seek to up the working week from 40 hours to 70 hours yet maintain wages at between US$80 (Bt2,790) a month.

Low paid workers are angry they receive little relaxation time for cultural activities, Tin said.

"Such poor conditions create stress for workers," he said adding "we urge investors to fully obey the law."

To minimise labour unrest workers and investors need to understand one another and comply with the law, he said.

Tin, together with other senior officials from the city's People's Committee, presented business opportunities to local and foreign investors, including some 90 from Thailand.

The city of six million has poten¬tial for investment in a wide range of services and industries, they said.

by Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation