Research on reducing working hours for employees in Vietnam to less than 48 hours per week

Research on reducing working hours for employees in Vietnam to less than 48 hours per week​ (Image from the internet)

On May 31, 2024, the Office of the Government of Vietnam issued Notice 249/TB-VPCP regarding the conclusions of the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam at the Conference assessing the results of implementing regulations on the cooperation relationship between the Government of Vietnam and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor.

Research on reducing working hours for employees in Vietnam to less than 48 hours per week

Regarding some proposals by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, the Government of Vietnam requires as follows:

(1) Regarding improving the quality of legal construction activities, including laws related to the rights, interests, and responsibilities of employees and union activities; focusing on protecting vulnerable groups; promoting balance and harmony in labor relations:

In agreement with the proposal of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, assign ministries and agencies during the law-making process to pay attention to the rights, interests, and responsibilities of employees and union activities.

(2) Regarding inspection, supervision, and strict handling of enterprises violating labor laws, trade union laws, social insurance, occupational safety and health regulations, failing or delaying wage payments, evading social insurance contributions; addressing the situation of overlooking or lightly handling enterprises that violate laws related to the rights and interests of employees by local authorities; ensuring strict, lawful management of the establishment and operation of employee organizations within enterprises; specific policies to promptly resolve and ensure the rights of hundreds of thousands of employees owed social insurance due to corporate dissolution, bankruptcy, owners fleeing or restructuring:

- Assign relevant ministries, functional agencies, localities, law enforcement forces, and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, according to their assigned functions and duties, to enhance inspection, supervision, and control; support and protect the lawful, legitimate rights and interests of employees according to the Constitution and laws.

- Vietnam Social Security, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Labor - War Invalids and Social Affairs focus on inspecting the compliance with legal provisions on social insurance, health insurance, unemployment insurance, occupational accident insurance, and occupational disease insurance at provincial and district social insurance agencies and related organizations and enterprises, promptly detecting and strictly handling violations in accordance with the law.

- Vietnam Social Security presides, cooperates with the Ministry of Labor - War Invalids and Social Affairs, related ministries, agencies, and localities to review the list of employees owed social insurance due to corporate dissolution, bankruptcy, owners fleeing or restructuring, propose solutions to ensure the lawful, legitimate rights and interests of employees.

- The Ministry of Labor - War Invalids and Social Affairs presides, cooperates with relevant ministries and agencies to collaborate with National Assembly bodies in the process of receiving, explaining, and amending specific mechanisms to protect employees in cases where employers no longer have the ability to pay social insurance for employees in the draft amended Social Insurance Law, expected to be submitted to the National Assembly for approval at the 7th session of the 15th National Assembly.

(3) Regarding reducing normal working hours for employees to less than 48 hours/week:

Assign the Ministry of Labor - War Invalids and Social Affairs to research, review, evaluate, and propose policies to reduce working hours for employees, ensuring suitability with the current reality of improving labor productivity in Vietnam and the country's development level.

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For detailed content, see Notice 249/TB-VPCP issued on May 31, 2024.

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