Workers to enjoy expanded rights

Workers to enjoy expanded rights

Workers build the Nhat Tan Bridge, part of Ha Noi's Ring Road No 2. — VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hung

HA NOI — Revisions to the Labour Code were the hot topic at yesterday morning's meeting of National Assembly deputies.

While most lawmakers agreed to extend maternity leave to six months from the current four and raise the minimum wage on a regular basis, ideas remained split on whether or not to alter the retirement age and increase extra working time for labourers.

In the end, the NA deputies agreed to amend the 16-year-old code to meet the current socio-economic situation.

Most of the deputies suggested that women should enjoy six months of maternity leave, surpassing the Government's proposal of five months.

They said the leave was aimed at guaranteeing good health for both mothers and newborns, and would allow exclusive breast-feeding during the first six months of the child's life as recommended by international organisations.

Deputy Trieu Thi Nai, representing northern mountainous Ha Giang Province, agreed with the five month proposal but said that six months would be appropriate for women working in dangerous and harmful businesses and those living in highland regions.

She also asked for 10 paid days off for new dads to give them time to care for their wives after giving birth.

Regarding minimum wage, Deputy Dang Ngoc Tung of southern Dong Nai Province and Duong Quang Son of northern mountainous Bac Kan Province, said that low wage was the root cause of all types of labour disputes.

According to the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour, the wages labourers earned by working at enterprises met only 60-70 per cent of their basic living requirements.

Tung said that most of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) employers paid their workers on the basis of the minimum wage, which was far lower than the market price.

One of the tricks that employers had used to attract more workers was to raise allowances and extra working time pay, but Tung said that these should have been covered under the general wage. By using this tactic, employers were able to avoid paying social insurance for the labourers, which would have a detrimental impact on them when they eventually retired.

He, and some other deputies, suggested that when wages were hiked to meet inflation, the Government should act to ensure prices on the market would not go up prior to the wage increase.

Deputy Son said it was inappropriate for the minimum wage to be different among the regions because compensation in rural areas was much lower than that in urban areas, which meant it would be difficult for businesses to employ qualified employees.

He added that some products were priced higher in mountainous areas than in the delta region due to added transportation costs.

Many deputies disagreed to extend the extra working time to 360 hours per year from the current 200 hours because it would not benefit labourers in terms of both income and health.

The draft revised code is expected to be passed next year.

The NA also discussed the draft revised law on trade unions yesterday.

Less land set aside

Viet Nam targets to reserve 130,000ha of land for industrial zones by 2015, a reduction of 20,000ha from earlier estimates for fear that foreign investment into the country will shrink due to uncertain local and international economic upheavals.

The target was part of the resolution on the Land Use Plan to 2015 and Programme till 2020, which received approval from 86.8 per cent of National Assembly deputies at yesterday afternoon's session.

The land allotted for industrial zones till 2020 and afterwards would be kept at 200,000ha, according to the NA, which reasoned that an average of 10 years was needed for an industrial zone to be fully occupied.

As of December 31, 2010, the country had 267 industrial zones spanning 72,000ha. The average occupancy rate was 76 per cent, according to the NA Standing Committee.

Infrastructure financing for all of the zones was valued at VND173 trillion (US$8.3 billion), including VND56 trillion sourced from foreign investors.

The NA also agreed with almost all targets set forth in the draft plan.

Land for rice cultivation till 2020 will be retained at 3.812 million hectares, which the NA Standing Committee said had been calculated to ensure long-term food security amidst pressures from the population boom, climate change and sea level rise.

According to statistics provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Vietnamese population will reach 100 million by 2020, when the entire nation will need 47 million tonnes of food.

Viet Nam has also been listed as one of the top ten most vulnerable countries to climate change.

The NA rejected some suggestions for measures to make up for land lost in landslides caused by climate change and sea level rise.

The legislature said that all factors had been taken into account for development of the land use plan. Additionally, the Government had come up with measures to mitigate the bad effects of climate change, such as building infrastructure works to prevent floods, saline intrusion and pollution.

After disagreements on some ideas to reduce land for urban residences, the NA fixed 179,000ha for 2015 and 202,000ha by 2020, and explained that actual demand for houses among middle and low income earners remained high. The NA Standing Committee said it would request the Government to combat unused urban areas and villas to prevent wastefulness. — VNS