Several "culture houses" built for their benefits have failed to attract workers' interest in Ho Chi Minh City, mainly because the concept has not been popularized well, Labor Union officials say.
The union has built and upgraded several such facilities for State officials and workers in recent years, but these are underutilized, they added.
Currently, 12 culture houses have been opened in the city's 6, 7, 11, 12, Tan Phu, Binh Thanh, Thu Duc, Binh Chanh, Nha Be, Binh Tan, Can Gio and Go Vap districts.
Four more are being built in districts 8, 9, Tan Binh and Cu Chi, said Nguyen Thanh Gia, head of the city Labor Union's finance office.
Most of these facilities cooperate with culture centers in their localities to open training classes for dancing, painting, photography, yoga, swimming, martial arts and badminton.
However, the number of participating State officials in general and workers in particular is very low because these activities do not match the workers' preferences.
Also, some of these buildings, like the ones in the districts of Tan Phu, Binh Chanh, Thu Duc and Can Gio, are located far from the workers' living quarters.
Nguyen Nhat Truong, who works in Thu Duc district's Linh Trung ward No2, said that he has never visited the labor culture house in Thu Duc district because it is too far from his house.
And the activities there are not what he is looking for, he added.
Meanwhile, the facilities in districts 7 and 11 are too small, limiting the ability to organize activities that the workers want, officials said.
They said that the shortage of qualified staff was also a factor in the failure of culture houses to attract workers' interest.
Nguyen Thi Anh Thu, chairwoman of the Labor Union in Cu Chi district, said it was difficult to employ staff for organizing interesting activities because the salary was too low at just VND1.6 million ($82) per month including allowances.
This should be increased to about VND3 million (US$150), she added.
Tran Thi Thanh Hien of Labour Union in Nha Be district added that the culture houses do not have funds to invest in activities or other equipment that can bring the workers in.
Thus, some of these buildings are leased out for wedding parties and other events to earn some money for their operation, she added.
However, Gia stressed that labor culture houses are meant for the entertainment of workers, and they should not focus on business activities.
Labor unions at districts should review and reorganize the operations of culture houses in their localities, he said.
Nguyen Huy Can, chairman of the HCMC Labor Union, said that the union will monitor operations of labor culture houses at the district level.
The unions at district-level will provide funds for the culture houses to operate, and if there is a shortage, the city's union stands ready to support them.
"The quality of operations is most important," he said, adding that these facilities should become a regular destination for laborers after their working hours.
Chau Thi Kim Bich Ngoc, deputy head of the city's Party Committee's public relations office, asked the labor culture houses to study the entertainment demand of workers and organize suitable activities.
