Delegate Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam: Must answer the question of why workers need to work overtime?

Is it humane and reasonable to keep it at 48 hours?

Regarding the regulation on normal working hours, the Report on acceptance and explanation of the National Assembly Standing Committee stated that some opinions of National Assembly deputies and many National Assembly delegations proposed to study and regulate employees to work according to the 44-hour/week regime. Some opinions suggested that it is necessary to consider carefully when changing the regulation on normal working hours in the current context and should keep the current regulation on the 48-hour work week.

Giving comments on the draft Labor Code (amended) in the discussion session on the morning of October 23, Mr. Vu Tien Loc - Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) supported keeping the 48-hour working day, because he thought it was suitable for the economy and very humane and reasonable.

According to Mr. Loc, most countries with similar levels to Vietnam, which are direct competitors, have a 48-hour working time regulation. With the current conditions of our country, applying the same working time as neighboring countries is appropriate.

The Chairman of VCCI said that shortening normal working hours will reduce national competitiveness, hinder the implementation of growth targets, and make it difficult for our country to escape the middle-income trap.

According to this delegate, reducing working hours will lead to a reduction in wages, slowing down the wage increase plan because businesses will recalculate. Furthermore, our country's labor productivity is still low, so wages and income are not high. When working hours are reduced, income will decrease, and workers will still have to look for work, leading to unpredictable consequences.

Mr. Loc also emphasized that reducing working hours in the current context does not benefit workers, increases business costs, reduces competition, leading to businesses narrowing production and many workers losing their jobs.

What parent wants to be away from their children to work hard?

Holding up a sign to debate with Mr. Vu Tien Loc, female delegate of Ho Chi Minh City delegation Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam said: I don't know where delegate Loc heard that this policy (keeping working hours unchanged - reporter) will be humane and voluntary if the National Assembly passes it? On what basis is it humane and voluntary? Where do we hear about voluntariness?

Ms. Quyet Tam said that if we say we hear from workers, it is strange, really surprising because the delegates heard many workers and union members say that workers do not want to work overtime even though in reality they need to work overtime.

Delegate Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam.

“We have to answer the question of why workers need to work overtime. That question is easy to answer, because the current wages and income of workers are too low, not enough to cover their living expenses,” Ms. Quyet Tam emphasized.

Having to stop many times due to being too emotional, the female delegate expressed: “Look at the real life of the workers, look at the appearance of the workers, the mindset of the workers when they come to work. Look at the children whose parents have to send them back to their hometowns. Are there any fathers or mothers who want to be away from their children, even for 1 year, 2 years without being able to visit their children? There are very old grandparents who still have to take care of their grandchildren so that their parents can go to work.”

“We must respect such workers. They do not accept it, do not want to become a burden on society, so they have to find work. If we say that they volunteer to work hard all day, I think this point of view needs to be debated and clarified. They need to work more, not voluntarily,” Ms. Tam added.

This delegate also emphasized that the role of the National Assembly is to make policies so that workers have enough income to cover their living expenses, have time to study, improve their skills, have entertainment, take care of their families and have social relationships. These are human rights stipulated in the Constitution.

“Think about the responsibility of the employer, not only the responsibility and obligation but also the humanity towards the employee. Humanity here is to protect the constitutional human rights, humanity is humanity in the use of labor” - Ms. Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam emphasized and said that the competitiveness of the economy does not only and should not rely mainly on the labor of the employee, but also on management capacity, technological innovation, working conditions and social progress.