Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) deputies on June 5 questioned Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) Dao Ngoc Dung about the management and protection of labourers who freely go to bordering countries to work and those who work in foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises.
According to the minister, it is estimated that about 139,000 labourers regularly go to bordering countries to work. However, they have no work permits while Vietnam lacks a legal framework on management of these workers.
At present, relevant ministries and agencies are negotiating with neighbouring countries on this issue, he added.
Dung said that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked his ministry to support seven northern provinces in signing memoranda of understanding with bordering Chinese provinces on management of these workers, thus ensuring their interests and avoiding potential risks.
The work is expected to be completed in this July, he added.
He revealed that PM Phuc and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha recently agreed on applying a mechanism for Vietnamese labourers like those from three other neighbouring countries of Thailand.
Regarding the protection of interests of workers in FDI enterprises and measures to prevent those aged 35 or more from the sack, Minister Dung said FDI enterprises play an important role in and greatly contribute to the national economy as they are now employing 6.8 million Vietnamese labourers.
Most of the major FDI businesses pay much attention to ensuring social welfares for workers and violations have been recorded in small companies only, he noted.
The information that up to 80 percent of FDI enterprises dismissed employees aged from 30-35, the minister said it is not accurate. The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs coordinated with the NA’s Committee for Social Affairs made fact-finding tours of several businesses in Ho Chi Minh City, and Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Bac Ninh provinces. Results showed that only 11 percent of employees who stopped working because of different reasons, including personal ones, are aged from 30-35. The figure is equivalent to only 1.9 percent of the total workers in a business.
According to the minister, at the regular Government meeting in June, the PM allowed the MoLISA to build a project on training and re-training unemployed workers who ever worked in FDI enterprises or supporting them with job shifting when businesses change production structure. The project will be implemented in a thorough way, ensuring the best conditions for labourers, he said.-VNA
VNA
