'Wage reform is not just about adjusting the minimum wage…'

“Reforming wage policy is not simply adjusting the minimum wage but also adjusting the system of titles, scales, salary tables and the most important issue is the structure of budget funds for implementation…”.

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, Head of the Central Steering Committee, emphasized this at a meeting on reforming salary policies, social insurance and incentives for people with meritorious services recently held at the Government Headquarters.

Previously, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 43/QD-TTg dated February 12, 2017 on the establishment of the Steering Committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue; the Standing Deputy Head of the Committee is Minister of Home Affairs Le Vinh Tan. The two Deputy Heads of the Committee are Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung and Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung.

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue said: The lives of people with meritorious services have improved a lot in recent years, but there are still many people with a below-average standard of living in their place of residence, and some are in poverty.

In this meeting, the Ministry of Home Affairs (Standing Body of the Steering Committee) reported on the Steering Committee's action plan for 2017 and the following years; the research plan and draft of the Project Outline for salary policy reform for cadres, civil servants, public employees, armed forces and managers, and employees in enterprises. The leaders of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs reported on the Project Outline for social insurance policy reform and the Project Outline for preferential policy reform for meritorious people.

The implementation of the above 3 Projects was assigned to the Government by the 7th Central Conference (11th tenure) to reform and improve the quality of these important social security policies, which still have many shortcomings and have not met the requirements of the Party, State and people's aspirations in recent times.

Chairing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue assessed: Reforming the wage policy is not simply adjusting the minimum wage but also adjusting the system of titles, scales, and salary tables, and the most important issue is the structure of the budget for implementation. This content is also related to the innovation of the operating mechanism of public service units (the sector currently has 2.1 million civil servants working).

Regarding the policy for people with meritorious services, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue said that the lives of people with meritorious services have improved a lot in recent years, but there are still many people with a below-average standard of living in their place of residence, and some are in poverty. Meanwhile, social insurance policies also need to be calculated and changed strongly to increase the stability and effectiveness of payments of the Social Insurance Fund - an important safety net of the State.

The issue of reforming salary policy, social insurance and incentives for people with meritorious services is being actively promoted (photo: HNM)

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue assigned the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to preside over the implementation of the Projects as mentioned and requested Minister Le Vinh Tan and Minister Dao Ngoc Dung to directly direct the development and completion of the Projects under their respective Ministries.

Since these are difficult and complicated issues, the Deputy Prime Minister requested the Steering Committee and ministries to actively complete the Project, organize seminars and workshops to collect opinions on the Projects, including domestic and foreign seminars. In particular, take advantage of the opinions of retired experts who have a deep understanding of the practice and policy formation processes.

It is known that after the Government completes these 3 Outlines, it will report to the Politburo to submit to the 7th Central Conference (12th term) in 2018 to discuss and approve the Resolution on the above contents.

According to Dan Tri