About the fact that many contract teachers' salaries were stopped after the merger with Vinh City

Sad Tet for contract teachers

For many days now, Mr. Mai Duy Tan (34 years old, physical education teacher at Hai Hoa Secondary School, Vinh City) has been coming to school with an uneasy feeling. Although his colleagues will receive their February salary in a few days, Mr. Tan has not yet received his January 2025 salary.

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“This year, the whole family celebrated Tet in a very sad mood. Not only was there a lack of money, but our spirits were also very worried and confused.”

Mr. Mai Duy Tan (34 years old, physical education teacher at Hai Hoa Secondary School (Vinh City)

Mr. Tan is one of dozens ofteachers, contract workersin schools in Vinh City have had their salaries stopped. These people used to work in schools in the old Cua Lo town, and the town signed indefinite contracts with them many years ago. Although they were on long-term contracts, in recent years, they have enjoyed the same benefits as teachers on the payroll. They have received periodic salary increases. The salaries of these cases have always been paid by Cua Lo town from the budget. However, right after Cua Lo town merged into Vinh City, they suddenly stopped receiving their salaries.

Originally from Nghia Dan district, graduated from Da Nang Pedagogical University, in 2015, Mr. Tan was signed an indefinite contract by the People's Committee of Cua Lo town, then assigned to teach at Hai Hoa Secondary School. "At that time, I only received less than 2 million VND per month. But because I loved the job so much, I tried to stick with it. Fortunately, although I was a contract teacher, I was entitled to benefits and a permanent position, so my income gradually increased. Before the payment was stopped, my monthly salary was more than 8 million VND," Mr. Tan said.

According to Mr. Tan, teachers usually receive their salaries around the 8th to 10th of each month. However, in January 2025, all teachers' salaries were delayed compared to usual. "The teachers did not receive their salaries until near the end of January. Because it was close to Tet, my whole family was looking forward to that money. But when the accountant announced that I and other contract teachers would no longer receive their salaries, I was very shocked," Mr. Tan added.

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Not only Mr. Tan was shocked, other teachers in the school were also very confused, affecting their psychology. Because the school has up to 7 teachers and contract employees whose salaries have been stopped. The fact that these people's salaries have been stopped surprised all of us. Especially when they were stopped on the days before Tet, it was very sad". Over the years, Mr. Tan has always completed his tasks excellently. He is a provincial-level excellent teacher in 2024.

Ms. Tran Thi Thu Huong - Principal of Hai Hoa Secondary School (Vinh City)

“Mr. Tan is in a difficult situation. Although he has been teaching for 10 years, he and his wife still have to rent a small house near the school. His wife does not have a job, so the whole family of four depends on his salary. Mr. Tan, like other teachers and contract employees, have good achievements and try very hard, but because the locality has not had any recruitment for many years, they have not been able to get on the payroll,” Ms. Huong added.

Is there any violation of the instructions?

Similarly, 6 teachers and contract staff at Nghi Huong Secondary School (Vinh City) have been worried in recent days, even though they have received their January salaries. “Everyone is very worried, not knowing what the future will be like. Even though they have received their January salaries, but then they heard the announcement that they will have to pay them back, everyone is sad. It’s Tet without any joy,” said Ms. Pham Thi Giang Linh (37 years old). Ms. Linh was signed an indefinite-term contract by the People’s Committee of Cua Lo town 16 years ago. She currently receives a salary of more than 10 million VND, including allowances for her role as a music teacher and the school’s Youth Union leader.

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The school has 2 teachers and 4 contract employees signed by the People's Committee of Cua Lo town (old) many years ago. Among them, many are old, with decades of seniority at the school. Unlike Hai Hoa Secondary School, our school received the January salary from the Treasury earlier. The school had already paid all the teachers' salaries, then received a notice to stop paying salaries to these 6 cases. Now they ask us to collect them and submit them, the school does not know how to collect them. It is very difficult to talk to the teachers. These teachers and contract employees are very important to the school, indispensable. In the past few days, not only the teachers but also the school leaders are very confused. The school cannot lack accounting staff, clerical staff, and equipment staff. Not to mention the subject teachers. The school also has no source of income to pay their salaries. Therefore, we hope that the competent authorities will consider and take appropriate action.

Mr. Pham Van Son - Principal of Nghi Huong Secondary School (Vinh City)

Similarly, Ms. Tran Thi Thu Huong - Principal of Hai Hoa Secondary School also said that the 7 teachers and contract employees at Hai Hoa Secondary School whose salaries were stopped are all "indispensable" to the school. "The school has more than 1,000 students with 26 classes, but currently there are only 2 teachers teaching physical education, all of whom are contract teachers. With such a number of classes, the teachers normally have to teach extra lessons. Now if they are not paid, there will be no physical education teachers. In the document dated January 21, 2025, the Vinh City People's Committee requested that the school pay salaries for these 7 cases from the school's revenue, but our school's revenue cannot guarantee that, it is too much money," Ms. Huong said, adding that because the teachers and contract employees whose salaries were stopped right before Tet, to encourage them, the school had to call on teachers on the payroll to donate and support each case with a small amount of money for Tet shopping.

Along with that, Hai Hoa Secondary School is also making a submission to the Vinh City People's Committee requesting additional budget for salaries for these 7 cases. "Our school has 26 classes but currently only has 41 teachers on the payroll, the ratio is only 1.57 teachers/class. This is much lower than the ratio of 1.9 teachers/class in the circular of the Ministry of Education and Training as well as the ratio of 1.7 teachers/class of Vinh City. Therefore, the school hopes that these teachers and contract employees will be given priority in recruiting into the payroll," Ms. Huong added.

According to the reporter's investigation, not only Nghi Huong Secondary School and Hai Hoa Secondary School, many other schools are also in the same situation. Meanwhile, from September 27, 2024, the People's Committee of Nghe An province has issued a document to resolve difficulties and problems with professional and technical contracts in public service units according to Decree No. 111/2022-ND-CP. This document has been sent to all provincial departments, branches, sectors, People's Committees of districts, cities, towns and service units.

In particular, the Provincial People's Committee directed that, for professional and technical contracts outside the payroll quota, "group 3 and group 4 public service units shall determine the source of salary payment guarantee for long-term contracts (from 2022 and earlier) due to the specific nature of the profession, due to history or due to mergers, organizational arrangements... to request the State Treasury to pay salaries. At the same time, priority is given to recruiting civil servants if they meet the conditions, standards and requirements of the job position to be recruited".

As for contracts from 2023 onwards, the Provincial People's Committee requires units to be responsible for ensuring their own salary payment sources and requests the State Treasury to pay salaries for cases that have been contracted. At the same time, research and consider terminating the contract before December 31, 2024.

According to the reporter's investigation, all teachers and contract employees whose salaries have just been stopped were signed contracts by the People's Committee of Cua Lo town before 2022. Many even signed contracts more than 20 years ago. Thus, based on the directive document of the Provincial People's Committee, these cases are all eligible to continue receiving salaries and are also given priority for recruitment into the payroll. But for some reason, on January 21, 2025, the People's Committee of Vinh City issued a decision on teachers on the payroll and labor contracts in schools in 2025, including putting these people on the list of "contracts receiving salaries from unit revenue", causing them to have their salaries stopped by the State Treasury right before the Lunar New Year?