Workers at a textile factory - Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - A labour ministry proposal to double theovertime limit for workers to 400 hours per year has evoked a mixed responsefrom workers, and clear disagreement from some officials.
In draft revisions to the 2012 Labour Code, the Ministry ofLabour, Invalid and Social Affairs has proposed that Vietnamese employees areallowed to work overtime for up to 400 hours per year.
The current limit is a maximum of 200 extra hours per year per worker,according to Article 106 of the 2012 Labor Code. In some specific areas liketextiles and garments, leather, aquaculture processing, telecommunications,water and power supplies, overtime is capped at 300 hours per year.
The latest proposal came at the request of many enterprises whohave argued for several years that more overtime is needed to improveproduction efficiency, increase workers’ incomes and raise the competitivenessof Vietnamese labour market.
A study by the ministry showed that the maximum number of overtimehours allowed in Vietnam was currently 30 hours per month, much less than othercountries in the region. The limit was 36 hours per month in China, 45 hours inLaos, 56 hours in Indonesia, 72 hours in Singapore, 104 hours in Malaysia, andno limit in Cambodia and the Philippines.
The ministry said its proposal sought to harmonise the benefits ofenterprises and labourers, and boost the competitiveness of Vietnam’s labourmarket to match other countries in the region.
Several female workers felt overtime limit should not be increasedby much because they needed time to take care of their children and families,the An ninh thu do (Capital Security) online newspaperreported.
It quoted Nguyen Thi Duyen, a female worker at the Bac Thang Long– Noi Bai Industrial Park as saying working overtime helped her increase herincome, but she preferred to spend time for her children.
If the draft was approved, enterprises would have a legal basis toask workers for more overtime work, she said.
Hoang Thu Hang, a female worker in an industrial park in Bac Ninh province,applauded the proposal.
She said almost workers of industrial parks came from otherprovinces and had to cover their living expenses and save some money.
If the overtime limit was increased, she could earn more, Hangsaid.
Meanwhile, Le Dinh Quang, deputy head of the Labour RelationsDepartment under the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, said he did notagree with the proposal.
Quang said any increase in overtime limit should be carefullycalculated to avoid the situation that enterprises take undue advantage ofworkers.
A representative of an export processing zone in Hanoi saidspecific assessments of Vietnamese physical conditions had to be made beforegreen lighting the proposal.
He said that workers at the processing zone had reported feelingfaint as they worked. This meant they were suffering from high work intensity.
Other experts also advised caution about increasing overtime limit,saying workers needed enough time to rest so that they could reproduce theircapacity.-VNA
In draft revisions to the 2012 Labour Code, the Ministry ofLabour, Invalid and Social Affairs has proposed that Vietnamese employees areallowed to work overtime for up to 400 hours per year.
The current limit is a maximum of 200 extra hours per year per worker,according to Article 106 of the 2012 Labor Code. In some specific areas liketextiles and garments, leather, aquaculture processing, telecommunications,water and power supplies, overtime is capped at 300 hours per year.
The latest proposal came at the request of many enterprises whohave argued for several years that more overtime is needed to improveproduction efficiency, increase workers’ incomes and raise the competitivenessof Vietnamese labour market.
A study by the ministry showed that the maximum number of overtimehours allowed in Vietnam was currently 30 hours per month, much less than othercountries in the region. The limit was 36 hours per month in China, 45 hours inLaos, 56 hours in Indonesia, 72 hours in Singapore, 104 hours in Malaysia, andno limit in Cambodia and the Philippines.
The ministry said its proposal sought to harmonise the benefits ofenterprises and labourers, and boost the competitiveness of Vietnam’s labourmarket to match other countries in the region.
Several female workers felt overtime limit should not be increasedby much because they needed time to take care of their children and families,the An ninh thu do (Capital Security) online newspaperreported.
It quoted Nguyen Thi Duyen, a female worker at the Bac Thang Long– Noi Bai Industrial Park as saying working overtime helped her increase herincome, but she preferred to spend time for her children.
If the draft was approved, enterprises would have a legal basis toask workers for more overtime work, she said.
Hoang Thu Hang, a female worker in an industrial park in Bac Ninh province,applauded the proposal.
She said almost workers of industrial parks came from otherprovinces and had to cover their living expenses and save some money.
If the overtime limit was increased, she could earn more, Hangsaid.
Meanwhile, Le Dinh Quang, deputy head of the Labour RelationsDepartment under the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, said he did notagree with the proposal.
Quang said any increase in overtime limit should be carefullycalculated to avoid the situation that enterprises take undue advantage ofworkers.
A representative of an export processing zone in Hanoi saidspecific assessments of Vietnamese physical conditions had to be made beforegreen lighting the proposal.
He said that workers at the processing zone had reported feelingfaint as they worked. This meant they were suffering from high work intensity.
Other experts also advised caution about increasing overtime limit,saying workers needed enough time to rest so that they could reproduce theircapacity.-VNA
VNA
