(Source: Viet Nam Social Security) 

The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) has written to the Supreme People’s Court, asking for direction to guide people’s courts to receive and handle cases related to social insurance debt, and bring some cases to trial as soon as possible.

According to theVietnam General Confederation of Labour, after two years of litigating social security debt-related lawsuits, trade unionshave received 2,705recordssubmitted from social security agencies. Twenty municipal and provincial trade unions have taken legal proceedings against 187 enterprises relating to social insurance debt.

Among the 187 cases, people’s courts successfully mediated only 28 cases, while the rest have not been handledfor various reasons. VGCL President Bui Van Cuongsaid non-acceptance of petitions directly impactsthe benefits of labourers, causing an increase in social insurance debt.

According to theVietnam General Confederation of Labour, unpaid social, health and unemployment premiumsare estimated at 12 trillion VND, including about 2 trillion VND from dissolved and bankrupt enterprises, or those operating perfunctorily. This means that more than 193,000 workers in these businesses have not yet enjoyed social security benefits. At a recent parliamentary session, Cuong asked the Standing Committee of the National Assembly to assign the National Assembly Committee for Social Affairsto work with agencies to review legal regulations for handling social, health and unemployment insurance-related violations, especially evasion of social insurance premiums.

The Vietnam Social Security, Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and other authorities have been requested to focus oninspecting and handlingviolations relating to evasion of social insurance premiums. The Ministry of Public Security will direct security forces to work with trade unions in detecting, investigating and proposing prosecutionin cases of unpayment of social, health and unemploymentinsurance premiums under Article 216 of the Criminal Code.

International Cooperation Department