Humanity from a Resolution

TIMELY SUPPORT

Both workers of Matrix Company Limited (Bac Vinh Industrial Park), Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Tho and Ms. Tran Thi Van are 2 of the first 10 workers in Nghe An province to receive support money from38,000 billion packageof the Unemployment Insurance Fund, according to Resolution No. 116/NQ-CP and Decision No. 28/2021/QD-TTg. Surprised by the simplicity of the procedures and the quickness of the settlement, Ms. Anh Tho shared: “After accessing information about the support package, on October 4, my friends guided me to register online on my phone via the VssID application. On October 8, with 128 months of unemployment insurance contributions, I received 2,900,000 VND in support money into my personal account”.

Online conference to implement Resolution No. 116/NQ-CP of the Prime Minister on policies to support employees and employers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic from the Unemployment Insurance Fund on October 1. Photo: DT

Like Ms. Tho, Ms. Ngo Thi Be (Hung Binh Ward, Vinh City) received the support money after 4 days of online registration. Working in the tourism service industry, the epidemic has made Ms. Be and her colleagues' jobs miserable due to lack of income. "Since the beginning of last year, the airline ticket agency where I work has had to lay off 10 people. Fortunately, in the 6 months since the termination of my labor contract, I have received 5 months of unemployment insurance and support from Resolution No. 116/NQ-CP for 1 month, a total of about 14 million VND. During the difficult time of the epidemic, for someone raising 2 young children like me, that amount of money is very meaningful and valuable," Ms. Be confided. According to Ms. Be, many of her friends and relatives have accessed information about the support package from the Unemployment Insurance Fund this time fully and quickly, and the accounting department of the company where she used to work also supported a lot in guiding the procedures to ensure the rights of employees.

On the afternoon of October 12, at the Social Insurance Agency of Nghe An province, holding in his hand the list of employees at his private enterprise, Mr. Tran Van Hieu happily shared: “As soon as I learned about the support package, I carefully researched the process, procedures and documents and implemented them to ensure the rights and timely support for employees. At times like this, I see the great benefits of participating and fully paying insurance for employees.”

Not only providing timely support to employees, the policies of Resolution No. 116/NQ-CP are also of great significance to businesses, especially large enterprises that have been operating for many years with a large number of workers. Ms. Nguyen Thi Yen - Chairman of the Trade Union and Manager of MLB Yen Thanh Co., Ltd. said: “After receiving information about the support package from the Unemployment Insurance Fund under Resolution No. 116/NQ-CP and Decision No. 28/2021/QD-TTg, both the company's leaders and our workers are very happy. During the recent epidemic, because 25 workers were infected with F0, our company suffered a lot of losses in both production progress and support costs for workers. With 1,176 workers, the Company is expected to reduce contributions to the Unemployment Insurance Fund for 12 months with an amount of over 940 million VND. This is a huge amount for the company at this time”.

According to Ms. Yen, recently, employees in the company, from F0, F1, those who have suspended their labor contracts or those who are working normally, have received corresponding support packages from the Government, from the company budget and from the union fund. These supports not only have material value but also have great spiritual encouragement. Since then, after a period of freezing due to the epidemic, the company's workers have been returning to work with a new spirit, more determined and more excited.

Employees of MLB Yen Thanh Company Limited were encouraged by receiving much attention and support during the epidemic. Photo: DT

Regularly directing the departmental unions to bring new policies to workers in the Southeast Economic Zone, Mr. Vuong An Nguyen - Chairman of the Southeast Economic Zone Union said: "This support package has timely supported and shared difficulties for both workers and employers, promoting the role of the unemployment insurance policy in taking care of workers.workerand accompany employers. Workers can easily access information about the support package from the press, from electronic information portals, from social networks, from union officials... In the Southeast Economic Zone, businesses that benefit from support policies from the Unemployment Insurance Fund are reviewing data from the Social Insurance. Workers are very excited to receive information about this support package."

POLICY

TO THE WORKERS

THE FASTEST WAY

Arriving at the office earlier than usual, leaving the office when the lights are on, eating a quick bowl of rice, then rushing to the office until 10-11pm for more than 10 days now, the employees of the Social Insurance Agency from the province to the district have become accustomed to such working hours. All of them strive with the motto "as quickly as possible so that the policy can reach the employees".

Particularly at the provincial Social Insurance agency, with a large workload and the need for quick resolution, Nghe An Social Insurance has arranged 2 locations to guide the procedures for receiving documents, working regardless of working hours, ensuring all processes are smooth and accurate. The Youth Union and departments are mobilized to directly support businesses and employees in installingVssID-Social Insurance application numberand instructions for completing the procedures.

Workers complete procedures to receive support from the unemployment insurance fund. Photo: DT

As expected, in Nghe An province, 6,857 employers will be supported to reduce contributions to the unemployment insurance fund, equivalent to VND 85 billion; 148,635 employees participating in unemployment insurance will receive support from unemployment insurance, equivalent to VND 379 billion; about 50,000 employees who stopped participating in unemployment insurance from January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021, whose unemployment insurance payment period is reserved according to the law, will receive support.Support from the Unemployment Insurance Fund, equivalent to 127.5 billion VND.

As of October 12, 2021, the determination of the reduction in contributions for 6,857 units, equivalent to 148,635 employees, with the provisional amount adjusted to reduce contributions (from October 2021 to September 2022) of about VND 85.6 billion, has been basically completed.

The province has reviewed and sent a list of workers eligible for support to 6,857 units, corresponding to 148,635 workers eligible for support. 1,501 units have sent a list confirming support for 9,219 workers participating in unemployment insurance; have resolved support for 705 workers participating in unemployment insurance and 506 people who have stopped participating with a total support amount of 2.8 billion VND; have made payments to workers with a total payment amount of 2.4 billion VND.

Regarding the concerns of many workers about the fact that Decision No. 28/2021/QD-TTg does not mention a number of subjects such as workers with temporarily suspended labor contracts, workers on unpaid leave... Vietnam Social Security has issued Official Dispatch No. 3138/BHXH-CSXH dated October 6, 2021 to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

On October 11, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs issued Document No. 3535 on determining beneficiaries of support under Decision No. 28/2021/QD-TTg. Accordingly, as of September 30, 2021, employees who have not terminated their labor contracts/work contracts and are on the list of unemployment insurance participants of the Social Insurance agency are still considered to be participating in unemployment insurance and are still supported based on the period of unemployment insurance contributions but have not yet received unemployment benefits (including cases of temporary suspension of labor contracts/work contracts, unpaid leave, suspension of work, maternity benefits... during the period from January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021 as well as before January 1, 2020). This document has clarified the beneficiaries of the Social Insurance Fund and resolved the concerns of many workers regarding this humane support package.