On January 6, NA Chairman Hue and the NA deputies of Hai Phong City had a meeting with nearly 700 voters representing workers, State employees, and labourers in the city.

 NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue talks to voters. Photo: NS

At the meeting, the voters spoke highly of the fact that the NA has reviewed and amended many laws directly related to workers, State employees and labourers such as: the Law on Protection of Consumer Right Protection (revised), the Law on the Implementation of Grassroots Democracy, the Housing Law (revised); and the Law on Real Estate Trading (revised); and has paid special attention to the revision of the Law on Social Insurance.

Apart from that, the voters also proposed that the NA and competent authorities consider increasing days off for national holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year); increasing welfare policies for kindergarten teachers; raising the regional minimum wage; handling businesses that violate policies designed for female labourers; promptly issuing guidelines on preferential housing policies for workers’ accommodation; amending and supplementing the Law on Employment; monitoring social housing issues and completely resolving the problem of “black credit”; and handling businesses that delay,  evade the contribution of social insurance premium, and so on.

The NA Chairman thanked the workers, civil servants and labourers of Hai Phong City for having expressed their honest and responsible opinions.

Regarding these opinions, Chairman Hue emphasised that many issues have been considered, studied and resolved by the National Assembly in the laws and resolutions recently promulgated.

Discussing issues related to labourers, the NA chairman said, over the past time, one of the very important initiatives that Vietnam took in the field of labour and employment is to increase the retirement age according to a roadmap, gradually each year, without disrupting the labour market. The initiative has been highly appreciated by many countries around the world because in many countries the increased retirement age has increased significant instability in society and it took a long time to resolve.

Regarding minimum wage hike, Chairman Hue reiterated that this is an issue that can not always reach wide consensus among related parties. Wage is the main income of employees but it is the cost for employers. Therefore, the Party and State always emphasise the viewpoint of building a harmonious wage policy that benefits all parties involved to ensure stable and sustainable development of labour relations and the labour market.

NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue presents gifts to labourers. Photo: NS

"The minimum wage is the minimum level set by the State to require employers not to pay employees less than this amount. In reality, businesses negotiate with labourers and mostly pay wages higher than the minimum wage level. During the recent one to seven years, the wage policy has been reformed in a synchronised manner in both public and private sectors, aiming to bring the wage paid in the public sector closer to the wage paid in the manufacturing sector,” said the NA Chairman.

And because it involves various parties, thus, Chairman Hue said under the current context of very rich and diverse labour relations, the coming amendments to the Law on Employment and the present amendments to the Law on Social Insurance must be thoroughly calculated.

Illustrative image (MOLISA)

He reiterated that the National Assembly will listen to and fully consider the voters’ opinions, including many good opinions that have been raised by Hai Phong City’s State officials, State employees, and labourers.

On the occasion, the NA Chairman presented 200 gifts to the city’s Trade Union members and labourers who have made outstanding performances as well as impoverished Trade Union members and labourers in the locality.