PM talks with workers at IZs in Red River Delta

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during the dialogue with IZ workers

He said the activity needs to be held regularly to promptly deal with workers’ concerns following two similar dialogues in the southeastern and central regions.

In response to a question about housing and preschools for children of workers in industrial and processing zones, Hanoi Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung said the city built a kindergarten in Bac Thang Long industrial park and assigned the outlying district of Dong Anh to build additional two preschools in the park.

In August, apartments in the park will be sold at VND200-400 million each. The Hanoi Transport & Services Corporation was also asked to increase bus services to and from the park.

The government leader requested building standard kindergartens for workers with the involvement of the private sector and directed Hanoi and other localities to allocate land for building accommodation for workers.

Regarding health care for workers, the PM urged the Health Ministry to work with departments and localities to improve workers’ health, firstly by establishing a network of hospitals and medical stations near industrial zones.

Businesses must pay attention to improving working conditions, offer regular health check-ups and lunches to workers, he said.

On salary, he said under the Resolution on salary reform adopted by the seventh plenum of the Party Central Committee, the State regulates the minimum salary level to protect workers, based on which enterprises will negotiate with workers to ensure that it matches their work efficiency.

For pension for female workers who retire from January 1, 2018, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs was required to submit a plan to the government that ensures they will not be put at a disadvantage.

Early retirement and special pension for workers in hazardous fields need to be taken into consideration when amending the Law on Social Security, he said.

President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) Bui Van Cuong said following the PM’s dialogue with workers in southern economic zones in 2016, a number of firms and localities expressed readiness to partner with the government and trade unions to offer welfare to trade unionists and workers.

Source: NDO