Part-time workers in communes and wards will be covered by social insurance.

On the morning of August 13, at the 30th session of the National Assembly Standing Committee (NASC) on the draft Law on Social Insurance (amended), many opinions agreed with the recommendations of the Committee on Social Affairs. However, the addition of non-professional workers at the commune level to participate in social insurance (SI) in a compulsory or voluntary manner is something that needs to be considered.

The report of the Committee on Social Affairs presented by Chairwoman Truong Thi Mai said: Many National Assembly deputies agreed to add the group of non-professional workers at the commune level to participate in compulsory social insurance. However, on this issue, there are 2 options. Option 1: Propose to stipulate that this group is a group of people participating in voluntary social insurance and is given priority by the State for support because this group is not entitled to receive salary but only benefits, does not work full days and will have difficulty in resolving sickness, maternity, work accident, occupational disease (compulsory social insurance policies). Option 2: Approve the application of compulsory social insurance.

Illustration photo.

Commenting on the draft law, Head of the National Assembly's Petition Committee Nguyen Duc Hien said: Through contact with voters, many opinions want to pay social insurance. They are said to be part-timers, but they work all day, the allowance depends on the local economic conditions, in remote areas they have no regime, they really "eat at home but carry the prison and the village". In the long term, when the Law on Local Government is drafted, it must be considered, it is possible to put them in the civil service.

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung expressed concern about the draft Law stipulating incentive policies to expand the number of participants in voluntary social insurance through amending regulations on contribution rates, payment methods, voluntary social insurance benefits and state support. “The policy to support farmers, workers, laborers, civil servants and semi-civil servants all at the near-poor support level, can the state budget bear it? Salaries have not yet increased, let alone insurance. The policy idea is welcome, but it must be calculated in a practical way,” said the National Assembly Chairman.

Chairman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor Dang Ngoc Tung proposed handling the issue of part-time commune and ward cadres participating in social insurance in a modern approach. “In the world, people now calculate work by the hour, by the week. So, we should not base our work on the year but on salary and income. We must have a new approach, change the entire management method,” Mr. Tung said and suggested implementing a social insurance management model like in Singapore. “It must be based on how much salary is paid, not that in the morning you plow the fields and in the afternoon you go to the commune to work and you don’t pay,” Mr. Dang Ngoc Tung emphasized.

Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan emphasized: The principle of social insurance is sharing. Therefore, it is necessary to agree with seasonal workers and labor contracts from 1 to 3 months that implementing social insurance is necessary, but it takes time, preparation and propaganda. It is possible to prepare for implementation in 2018. The issue of specialized cadres at communes and wards participating in compulsory social insurance has not yet clarified the budget balance problem, so it is more reasonable to leave it as a voluntary form because of the large number. The Government will base on the budget and economic situation to determine the appropriate level of support.

Currently, there are 23 localities and provincial People's Councils that have supported voluntary social insurance contributions for part-time workers at the commune level.

Nationwide, there are about 229,592 non-professional cadres at the commune level operating under the provisions of Decree No. 92/2009/ND-CP. If compulsory social insurance is paid for two regimes: retirement and death, the total contribution is 22% of the basic salary (VND 1,150,000), the state (employer) will support VND 443 billion/year, equivalent to a contribution rate of 14%; employees will pay VND 253 billion/year, equivalent to a contribution rate of 8%.

Since 2005, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang have applied compulsory social insurance for part-time workers at the commune level, calculated based on a coefficient of 1.86 of the general minimum wage.

According to QĐND