The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour proposed reducing working time to balance the benefit of employers and workers. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour(VGCL) has requested the drafters of the revised Labour Code maintain theproposal to cut working time from 48 hours per week to 44 hours per week.
The draft text was tabled in the National Assembly on May 29, and is underreview. Among the amendments is a proposal to reduce working time from 48 hoursper week to 44 hours per week, which has attracted diverse public comments.
Enterprises and employers have said reducing the working week would harmindustry and the economy, since such regulation will reduce export value.
They also said countries in the region have much higher overtime hours than Vietnam.
Speaking at a meeting of the VGCL Hanoi on September 9, Ngo Duy Hieu, VicePresident of VGCL, however, reducing working hours is a progressive trend ofmankind.
“The need for increasing productivity has to go along with maintaining worker’shealth, their ability for labour power reproduction and giving time for workersto take care of their families and to take part in social activities,” Hieu said.
Currently, Vietnam’s basic working hours are 48 hours a week, higher than manycountries in the region and in the world.
Since 1999, Vietnam has put into practice a mechanism of 40 hours a week withState employees. However, this has not been applied for non-State sectors,creating inequality among the labour forces.
“Reducing working time will not only benefit the labourers, it will also createan incentive for businesses to improve their equipment, renovate theircorporate governance and improve productivity,” he said.
The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour is considering adding one or moredays off for workers, like two for the New Year holidays, instead of one day asnow.
Currently, the number of holidays in Vietnam is fewer than other countries inthe world and the region. The country has 10 public holidays, the same as thenumber of federal holidays in the US, while Cambodia has 28 days, Brunei has 15,Indonesia has 16, Malaysia has12, Myanmar has 14, and Thailand has 16. – VNS/VNA
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