DIRECTIVE

ON ENSURING JOB SECURITY, ENHANCING LIVING STANDARDS, IMPROVING WORKING CONDITIONS FOR WORKERS

Over the years, the Party and State have paid attention to leading, directing and creating many positive changes in ensuring job security, improving working conditions, and enhancing living standards for workers. Compared to 5 years ago, the number of employed workers increased by 26%, of which stable jobs and incomes have increased steadily over the years; workers' living standards are increasingly improved; working conditions, occupational safety and health, have been placed emphasis; basic international labor standards are applied more and more commonly in enterprises. However, a large number of workers still do not have stable and suitable jobs; working conditions in many enterprises and workers' lives have not been improved, and in some places, they still suffer adverse working conditions and poor living standards, especially in the context of the recent outbreak and complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic  that have severely affected the production and business of enterprises and the lives and jobs of many workers, especially towards unskilled workers.

With a view to further effectively implement the orientations, guidelines, policies, tasks and solutions of the Party and State on ensuring job security, improving working conditions, and enhancing living standards for workers in the new context, the Prime Minister hereby gives certain requests to the following entities:

1. Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Governmental agencies, Presidents of People's Committees of provinces and centrally affiliated cities

a) Focus on directing, reviewing and speeding up the performance of tasks directly related to ensuring job security, improving working conditions, and enhancing living standards for workers under the direction of the Government, the Prime Minister; urgently develop specific programs and plans and ensure the allocation and release of resources for implementation. Regularly assess the situation and results of implementation, proactively deal with arising issues according to their competence; report and advise the Government and the Prime Minister to consider solving problems beyond their competence; propose new effective and feasible mechanisms, policies and solutions to ensure job security, improve working conditions, and enhance living standards for workers.

b) Continue to direct fundamental changes to substantive economic growth model in local areas in conformity with the inclusive socio-economic growth model; mobilize, allocate and effectively use resources, generate motivation for economic sectors to develop quickly and sustainably; ensure linkages between areas, regions, economic sectors, business types so as to promote and support enterprises to operate and develop, and increase labor productivity.

c) Undertake effective implementation of trade agreements, especially new-generation free trade agreements (CPTPP, EVFTA, RCEP...)  as required by the terms and conditions to which Vietnam is a signatory. Continue to review legal documents, internalize international labor standards, and help workers enjoy better rights and working conditions.

d) Plan, allocate, and mobilize financial resources to invest in the construction of social infrastructure and services for production, living standards, daily life, study, and entertainment of workers and families. Strengthen measures to ensure security, safety, and environmental hygiene at workers' residences and workplaces. Adopt safeguards to prevent workers from borrowing, lending and collecting debts related to "black credit" practice[1], propose micro-credit policies to support workers.

dd) Take the initiative in formulating, adjusting and supplementing housing development planning, programs and plans according to regulations, setting targets for social housing development, especially housing, cultural and sports institutions for workers in industrial parks and export processing zones in the 5-year socio-economic development plan of ministries, central authorities and local governments. Focus on initiating solutions to resolve difficulties for the development of housing for workers in industrial parks.

e) Expeditiously build models of "industrial parks - urban areas - services" comprehensively, associated with the development of residential areas and infrastructure, meeting the specific needs of workers in industrial parks, inclusive of experts and high-quality workers.

g) Focus on effectively taking measures to prevent and control the pandemic, especially in industrial parks and export processing zones, where many workers are gathered; share difficulties, support and minimize negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, ensure social security, help workers and businesses overcome difficulties, restore production and business, job stability.

2. Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs

b) Proceed to study and make better legal policies on labor, employment, wages, social insurance, occupational safety and health on the basis of summarizing and evaluating the actual implementation of the law in the above areas, especially the practice of law implementation in industrial parks and export processing zones; grasp labor and employment crises caused by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic to supplement, adjust and complete synchronous policies on labor, employment, wages and social insurance association, occupational safety and health; advise on reducing normal working hours in line with the socio-economic development situation; concentrate on amending and supplementing the list of laborious, toxic and dangerous occupations and jobs and extremely laborious, toxic or dangerous occupations and jobs.

b) Initiate the implementation of the Prime Minister's Decision No. 176/QD-TTg dated February 5, 2021 on the Program to support the development of the labor market until 2030, ensuring schedule planned and effectiveness, focusing on speeding up the formulation of the index system, assessment of the development of the labor market, employment and income; improve the labor market information system as a basis for connecting labor supply and demand to ensure the supply of labor in accordance with the needs of enterprises, and promptly provide information on the labor market to support, consult and introduce jobs to workers on demand, and at the same time help orient the training of highly skilled human resources on the basis of the actual needs of the labor market.

c) Strengthen inspection and examination of the implementation of legal policies on labor, employment, wages, social insurance, occupational safety and hygiene, ensuring the legitimate rights and interests of workers.

d) Accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions and develop the vocational education system with an orientation of open, diversified, flexible, interconnected, and modern with many training models, methods, and levels to meet learning needs of workers. Place a greater emphasis on the training of skilled human resources with high professional and technical qualifications to meet the requirements of the 4th industrial revolution; bind and mobilize enterprises to participate in vocational education in association with job creation for workers; at the same time to meet the needs of labor mobility between countries in the ASEAN region.

dd) Expeditiously complete and submit to competent authorities for promulgation of policies to support difficulties for workers and businesses to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic and promptly initiate the implementation to ensure the stability of the labor and employment, effectively maintaining the goals of both pandemic prevention and control and economic development; proactively develop training programs to improve the qualifications and skills of workers to support adaptation and suitability to changing conditions and circumstances during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.

3. Ministry of Education and Training

a) Take charge and cooperate with the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs in directing the education sector at all levels to guide and enable vocational education institutions to organize upper-secondary continuing education programs for students who have graduated from lower secondary schools in order to promote education streaming and ensure the rights of students who have both vocational training and general education right at vocational education institutions, especially for the children of workers.

b) Make better mechanisms and policies to attract business managers and society to invest in building preschool and general education institutions in industrial parks, export processing zones, and places where a great number of workers concentrate.

4. Ministry of Planning and Investment

Take charge and cooperate with the People's Committees of the provinces and centrally-affiliated cities in well performing the work of attracting and selecting investors with modern technology, good governance, social responsibility, and real care and respect for employees and workers.  Concentrate on raising and balancing capital sources to accelerate investment in building trade union institutions, as stipulated in Decision No. 655/QD-TTg dated May 12, 2017 and Decision No. 1729/QD-TTg dated May 12, 2017 November 4, 2020 of the Prime Minister.

5. Ministry of Finance

Take charge in aggregating and allocating budget for recurrent expenditures for the implementation of programs and projects in the field of job security, working conditions improvement, and improvement of living standards of workers in accordance with the provisions of law on state budget and annual budget balance, and then submit them to competent authorities for consideration and decision.

6. Ministry of Health

a) Focus on speeding up the implementation of the Prime Minister's Decision No. 659/QD-TTg dated May 20, 2020 on the Program "Caring and promoting better health for workers and prevention of occupational diseases" in the period 2020-2030”.

b) Guide shift meals for workers in industrial parks and export processing zones; formulate regulations on calorie intakes to meet nutritional needs and meal allowance for specific workers; coordinate with the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to build health promotion models in the workplace suitable to the characteristics of the professions.

c) Continue to advise on mechanisms and policies to attract businesses and the society to invest in the construction of hospitals, clinics, health promotion facilities in industrial parks, export processing zones and places where a great number of workers live. Research and propose methods of management and organization of operations of hospitals and clinics suitable to the living and working conditions of the majority of workers.

7. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Accelerate the planning, investment, construction, and organization of effective operation of cultural institutions to improve the cultural life for workers, suitable to the development of industrial parks, export processing zones, and urban development planning; research and propose mechanisms and policies to promote social resources to invest in the development of cultural institutions, cultural and sports activities, contributing to improving the spiritual life of workers.

8. State Bank of Vietnam

Direct credit institutions, the Bank for Social Policies to continue implementing credit programs and policies to create jobs, improve the living standards of workers, and develop banking products and services for low-income workers and the people in disadvantaged areas. Focus on guiding the implementation of policies to support employers to take out loans to pay wages for temporary layoff and production recovery due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

9. Ministry of Information and Communications

Coordinating with the Central Propaganda Department in directing the press agencies and grassroots information systems to proactively and promptly provide information on employment, working conditions, living standards of workers, measures and policies related to the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic, arouse interest, build strong consensus and mobilize the whole society to actively participate in innovation, job security, and improvement of working conditions and the living standards of workers.

10. Ministry of Construction

a) Expeditiously complete mechanisms and policies on housing development, especially mechanisms and policies on housing development for workers in industrial parks and social housing; make better policies to attract social resources to invest in housing development and welfare works to meet the needs of workers in industrial parks.

b) Focus on directing and speeding up the execution of housing projects for workers in centralized industrial parks and social housing.

c) Actively and proactively coordinate with the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor in implementing Decision No. 655/QD-TTg dated May 12, 2017 and Decision No. 1729/QD-TTg dated November 4, 2020 of the Prime Minister on approval of the Project "Investment in building trade union institutions in industrial parks and export processing zones" to strive that by 2030 all industrial parks and export processing zones across the country will have trade union institutions.

11. Request the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor

a) Continue to take care and improve the material and spiritual life, especially during the annual Lunar New Year holidays for trade unionists and workers, especially those suffering suffer hardships in remote and isolated areas, mountainous areas, islands, ethnic minorities.

b) Closely coordinate with ministries, branches, agencies, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-affiliated cities in performing tasks and solutions to implement the Project "Investment in building trade union institutions in industrial parks and export processing zones" approved by the Prime Minister's Decision No. 655/QD-TTg dated May 12, 2017 and Decision No. 1729/QD-TTg dated November 4, 2020 of the Prime Minister.

c) Continue to innovate the contents and operation methods of trade unions at all levels to meet the requirements of the new context.

d) Coordinate with ministries and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-affiliated cities to strengthen inspection, inspection, and supervision of the implementation of legal policies on labor, employment, occupational safety and hygiene; build campaigns of inspection and supervision on labor relations and mobilization of workers to raise their sense of self-discipline, actively participation in the prevention and control of Covid-19 pandemic.

dd) Promptly reflect the thoughts, aspirations and recommendations for improvement of policies and laws of workers and employees to the Government, ministries, branches and the People's Committees of provinces and centrally affiliated cities.

e) Speedily build a data system on workers and trade unions as a basis for capturing, detecting, solving and forecasting changes in employment, life, thoughts and aspirations of the workers.

g) Strengthen the direction of trade unions at all levels, especially grassroots trade unions in enterprises, improve the genuineness of dialogues, negotiation, and conclusion of collective labor agreements, especially on employees' wages associated with labor productivity and job performance results in accordance with the provisions of the Labor Code.

12. Recommend to Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry to

a) Launch programs, plans, and activities to propagate, mobilize and encourage employers to abide by the law, voluntarily and actively participate in the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic, improve social responsibility, apply technical standards, advanced and modern management systems and apply advanced, high-tech, and environmentally-friendly technologies to production and business activities in order to improve working conditions, ensure occupational safety and hygiene.

b) Strengthen negotiations and dialogues between parties at the enterprises.

c) Coordinate with relevant ministries and branches in organizing movements and activities, i.e. Programme on Benchmarking and Announcing Sustainable Companies in Vietnam (CSI Programme), the "Typical corporates for workers”.

13. Request Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Governmental agencies, Presidents of People's Committees of provinces and centrally affiliated cities and relevant agencies and units to implement this Directive.

The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs is responsible for monitoring, urging and inspecting the implementation of this Directive./

[1] the credit that appears any deceitful or forcible factors or the lender shows signs of infringing upon the life or health or appropriating property of the borrower

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