Nghe An: 66 work accidents occurred in more than 2 years

Vice Chairmen of the Provincial People's Council: Cao Thi Hien - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Hoang Viet Duong - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee chaired the meeting. Also participating were: 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 Department. Photo: Minh Chi

66 work accidents

According to the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, in recent times, the work of ensuring occupational safety and health and implementing policies and regimes for workers in industrial parks (IPs) and enterprises has been promoted and disseminated to employers and employees by all levels and sectors.

In general, businesses' compliance with the above two contents is quite good, contributing to improving the working environment, improving health as well as ensuring policies and regimes for employees.

Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Thi Thu Huong said that through monitoring, many workers do not fully understand the regime and their rights in ensuring occupational safety and health and requested the Department of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs to clarify the effectiveness of propaganda and dissemination of laws on occupational safety and health and regimes and policies for workers. Photo: Minh Chi

Besides, Mr. Dang Cao Thang - Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs also admitted that compliance with occupational safety and health laws of many enterprises is not serious, especially small and medium enterprises.

Through inspection and examination of 369 enterprises in the province, the Department has proposed administrative sanctions against 91 enterprises violating occupational safety and health. According to statistics from business units, in 2 years (2016, 2017) and the first 6 months of 2018, there were 66 occupational accidents in the province with 88 victims, of which 18 died.

In the field of policies and regimes for employees, according to Deputy Director Dang Cao Thang, it is evident that there are still many enterprises that owe social insurance payments for employees, with a total of 4,380 enterprises as of June 30, 2018.

Compared to regulations, businesses pay their employees higher than the minimum wage, however, compared to the general income level, the salary of employees is still low, averaging 5 - 5.8 million VND/person/month.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Hoang Viet Duong pointed out a series of problems through the supervision of occupational safety and health and the regime and policies for workers. Photo: Minh Chi

There needs to be more effective state management solutions.

At the meeting, members of the Provincial People's Council's monitoring delegation raised many issues arising in practice, requesting the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to clarify its state management responsibilities. Specifically, some enterprises have not fully grasped the regulations on ensuring occupational safety and health, especially workers do not fully understand their rights to ensure a safe working environment as well as their regimes and policies, especially the regime when working in a toxic environment and the regime of occupational disease examination.

It is also the responsibility of the Department to resolve the regime for people when they reach retirement age or get sick or have accidents at enterprises with outstanding social insurance debts.

Some members also suggested that the Department should coordinate with the provincial Social Insurance agency to find solutions to urge employees to participate in social insurance; pay attention to ensuring occupational safety and health in high-risk areas such as mineral exploitation and construction, etc.

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

Concluding the meeting, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council Cao Thi Hien requested the Department of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, with its state management function, to strengthen coordination with all levels and sectors to promote propaganda and dissemination of laws on occupational safety and health and policies for workers, especially the need to fully convey regulations to workers.

Along with that, the Department needs to research to have more effective state management solutions on occupational safety and health and regimes and policies for workers in general, especially the freelance workforce.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council also requested the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to supervise businesses to strictly implement the conclusions after inspection and strictly handle violations.