There are strong enough sanctions for businesses that are weak in occupational safety and hygiene.

Comrade Nguyen Thi Thu Huong - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department, Head of the Provincial People's Council's Culture and Social Affairs Department chaired the inspection. Comrades of the Provincial Party Standing Committee: Cao Thi Hien - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council and Le Minh Thong - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also attended. Photo: Minh Chi

Not reflecting the true state of occupational safety and health

The review of the report on compliance with the law on occupational safety and hygiene in 2018 in the province shows that, through statistics and reports from units and enterprises, in the first 10 months of 2018, there were 17 occupational accidents in the province, causing 22 victims, including 7 deaths.

However, this figure still does not reflect the current situation. Although the inspection and examination of compliance with regulations on occupational safety and hygiene in production and business establishments has been of interest to the authorities, the number of enterprises inspected and examined is still small, only more than 250 enterprises out of a total of about 13,000 enterprises inspected.

Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council Cao Thi Hien gave her opinion at the meeting. Photo: Minh Chi

Many employers' awareness of compliance with labor safety and hygiene laws is not high, and workers themselves are struggling to use their own protective equipment.

There are cases where businesses have not yet been tested for conditions to ensure fire prevention, safety and labor hygiene but still operate.

Concluding this content, Head of the Culture - Social Committee of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Thi Thu Huong suggested that the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, in addition to statistics on the number of accidents in the year, need to analyze and clarify the causes, responsibilities of enterprises, employees and even the responsibilities of state management agencies at all levels in inspecting, monitoring and warning about risks of occupational safety and hygiene in enterprises.

According to Head of the Culture - Social Committee of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, it is necessary to analyze and clarify the causes and responsibilities of enterprises, workers and state management agencies in the issue of occupational safety and health. Photo: Minh Chi

The assessment of state management in this field at the district and commune levels still has many weaknesses. Regarding solutions, the Head of the Department of Culture and Social Affairs suggested that the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs should study and have sanctions to handle enterprises that do not implement the conclusions after inspection and examination; at the same time, it is necessary to innovate propaganda and legal education to raise awareness and actions for employers and employees in complying with the law on occupational safety and hygiene.

Need to deeply evaluate the effectiveness of poverty reduction programs

Reviewing the report on the implementation of the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction in 2018, members of the Culture - Social Affairs Committee requested the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to deeply evaluate the effectiveness of programs and projects serving the goal of poverty reduction. Along with that, it is necessary to pay attention to classifying poor households according to Circular 17/2016/TT-BLDTBXH to have appropriate solutions, avoiding the situation where the poor lack health services but are supported in education and vice versa; focusing on the effectiveness of vocational training, job creation for rural workers...

And the important thing, according to Head of the Department of Culture and Society Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, is to clearly evaluate what has been done and what has not been done, point out the causes, and on that basis propose appropriate tasks and solutions to more effectively carry out the task of poverty reduction in the coming year.

Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Vi Ngoc Quynh received and explained a number of issues related to two draft resolutions of the Provincial People's Council. Photo: Minh Chi