The National Assembly gives opinions on the Report explaining the draft Law on Employment

On the afternoon of October 21, continuing the working program of the 6th session of the 13th National Assembly, National Assembly deputies gave their opinions on the Report on explanation, acceptance and revision of the draft Law on Employment.

Vocational training is of particular interest to National Assembly deputies in the Employment Law project. (Source: VNA)

At the working session, responding to the call of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, National Assembly deputies donated and supported the people of the Central region to overcome the consequences of storms and floods, stabilize their lives, and continue working and producing.

The Draft Law on Employment was discussed by the National Assembly at its 5th session and the National Assembly's Committee on Social Affairs in coordination with the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and relevant agencies and organizations studied the opinions of National Assembly deputies, National Assembly delegations and a number of agencies to explain, absorb and complete it.

Opinions at the working session basically agreed with the contents of the Report on explanation, acceptance and revision of the draft Law on Employment; requested the drafting agency to continue revising some contents on assessment and granting of national vocational skills certificates; organization and operation of employment services; unemployment insurance policy...

Ensuring fairness in assessment and granting of vocational skills certificates

Regarding assessment and issuance of national vocational skills certificates, the majority of National Assembly deputies agreed to move this content from Chapter IX of the Vocational Training Law to the Employment Law project.

There are suggestions that the draft Law should not assign socio-political organizations, socio-political-professional organizations, and professional associations to participate in assessing and granting vocational skills certificates because it is easy to take advantage of, and inaccurate in assessment, causing waste.

However, disagreeing with this view, delegate Nguyen Van Pha (Nam Dinh) said that socio-political organizations and professional socio-political organizations are a large force in society, having made many important contributions to the country's socio-economic development in recent times.

In the working coordination relationship between the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and its member organizations, tens of thousands of workers have been trained by vocational training facilities of the Trade Union; millions of farmers have been trained by facilities of the Farmers' Association... Therefore, these subjects are completely capable of participating in the assessment and granting of vocational skills certificates, delegate Nguyen Van Pha affirmed.

Delegate Le Trong Sang (Ho Chi Minh City) said that to ensure feasibility and responsibility for state management, the Government needs to plan a network of organizations assessing and granting vocational skills certificates, specify the conditions for establishment, licensing procedures as well as strengthen inspection and examination of vocational skills assessment and certification activities.

The delegate also said that the planning and assessment of national vocational certificates should be assigned to state management agencies of provinces and cities. This will both enhance the responsibility of local state management agencies and better understand the needs of workers, thereby ensuring the feasibility of network planning.

Delegate Nguyen Ngoc Phuong (Ninh Binh) said that the draft Law needs to supplement regulations on the order and procedures for assessing and granting national vocational skills certificates, especially policies to create favorable conditions for workers who self-study and improve their skills to participate in assessing and granting national vocational skills certificates. Reality shows that in society, there are many artisans who are good at vocational skills, but do not have vocational certificates, so they cannot participate in training and passing on their skills to the younger generation at vocational training centers.

Encourage organizations and individuals to participate in service and employment activities.

Regarding the organization and operation of employment services, delegate Le Trong Sang (Ho Chi Minh City) said that the draft Law should stipulate the right to establish employment service centers for the People's Committees of provinces and cities, ministries and ministerial-level agencies, and socio-political organizations.

Because, in the short-term or long-term socio-economic development plans of provinces and centrally-run cities, labor and employment indicators are indispensable. If managed vertically, it will cause difficulties for the People's Committees of provinces and cities in building and implementing economic and social indicators. The current management of the Employment Service Center by provinces and cities has many advantages, helping to resolve labor supply and demand quickly and promptly; creating stability in job creation for workers...

Also giving comments on the issue of organization and operation of employment services, delegate Nguyen Ngoc Phuong (Ninh Binh) said that the draft Law needs to ensure equality in legal status, functions and tasks between employment service centers established by state management agencies and employment service centers established by socio-political organizations. Because employment services are an important factor in developing the labor market, together with the State, organizations must be encouraged to participate in this activity equally on the basis of planning the network of employment service centers.

Ensuring benefits for employees when participating in unemployment insurance

Regarding unemployment insurance policy, delegate Tran Thi Thu Phuong (Bac Kan) said that with 19 articles stipulating principles, subjects, and unemployment insurance regimes stipulated in the draft Law, it has ensured a legal basis for participation in training, payment, and preservation of the unemployment insurance fund. However, the draft Law does not have regulations on unemployment insurance participation records, causing difficulties for organizations and individuals waiting for decrees, circulars, and implementation instructions.

Point c, Clause 1, Article 44 stipulates that subjects are required to participate in unemployment insurance for seasonal or specific jobs with a term of 3 months to less than 12 months. However, Clause 2, Article 50 stipulates that the condition for unemployment insurance is to have been unemployed for 12 months or more within the 24 months prior to the termination of the labor contract. The above regulation is unreasonable, because employees who have contributed to unemployment insurance for less than 12 months and lose their jobs are not eligible for unemployment insurance support.

Delegate Thu Phuong suggested that the drafting committee consider re-stipulating unemployment insurance conditions for employees who have participated in unemployment insurance for 6 months or more, to ensure the rights of employees.

Also commenting on unemployment insurance policy, the majority of National Assembly deputies agreed to transfer the content of unemployment insurance policy from the Social Insurance Law to the Employment Law.

Many delegates said that unemployment insurance should not be expanded to workers in areas without labor relations because it is not suitable for the management capacity of agencies and organizations at the present time, which could lead to an imbalance in the Unemployment Insurance Fund.

Some people think that civil servants are rarely unemployed, so it is recommended that there should be no regulation requiring civil servants to participate in unemployment insurance or that there should be a policy so that after retirement they can receive a subsidy from the unemployment insurance fund to ensure their rights according to the contribution-receipt principle...

Concluding the working session, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong requested the drafting agency to seriously absorb the opinions of National Assembly deputies on the contents with different opinions; promptly review and soon complete the draft Law to submit to the National Assembly for consideration./.

According to VNA - LT