Unpaid Social Insurance by Businesses: Burden on the Workers

15/11/2023 03:25 PM


On November 1st, continuing the socioeconomic discussion session at the morning session yesterday, National Assembly delegate Nguyen Thi Thu Nguyet (Dak Lak) brought up the issue of social insurance debts. According to the delegate, the situation of employers owing Social Insurance contributions, and even deliberately evading this responsibility, leads to workers bearing the consequences.

Delegate Nguyen Thi Thu Nguyet - Dak Lak Provincial Delegation contributing opinions in the chamber (Image via quochoi.vn)

Delegate Nguyen Thi Thu Nguyet assessed that the social, health, and unemployment insurance policies are always aimed at taking care of individuals for human development. The implementation and entitlements from these policies have been fairly well-regulated by law for both employers and employees. However, the current reality reveals employers owing social insurance contributions, and even deliberately avoiding their obligations in paying into social insurance, despite employees having their contributions deducted from their monthly salaries—a significant amount. Yet, when it comes to asserting their rights, the employees' claims are often denied. Here, it is evident that the fault lies not with the workers, yet they bear the consequences.

Delegate Nguyen Thi Thu Nguyet suggested that the government strengthen preventive measures and take legal action against businesses or employers who violate regulations. Additionally, there should be measures ensuring the rights related to social, health, and unemployment insurance for workers, as well as addressing the risks in case of occupational accidents, illness, termination, resignation, or job transfer when it's established that the worker has contributed sufficiently to the social and health insurance. This is an issue that state management agencies need to intervene in, resolve, and prioritize the protection of workers through policies and legal provisions.

Enterprises in social insurance debt; workers bear the brunt (Image for illustration purposes)

During this session, the National Assembly will provide initial opinions on the draft Law on Social Insurance (amended) for the first time. The draft law currently proposes several effective solutions to prevent Social Insurance debts. Presently, various measures have been put forth, such as ceasing the issuance of invoices, delaying exits for employers who are late or evade social insurance payments, the agency having the right to sue and propose prosecution for cases showing signs of committing insurance evasion according to the Penal Code, supplementing the responsibilities of employers to compensate employees if they don’t participate or incompletely and belatedly participate in mandatory insurance, causing damage to the legitimate rights and interests of employees... All options will be meticulously discussed and further proposed to ultimately secure feasible, effective, and most efficient solutions./.

VSS