Ensuring security for workers to return to factories

The Confederation of Labor of Long Khanh City donates social security packages to workers

Accelerate the company's production.

According to labor experts, the labor market in the last months of the year will increase as many occupations are allowed to resume operations after the pandemic is controlled. However, the lack of labor is greatly affecting the restoration of production of enterprises and socio-economic development in southern provinces and cities. To solve this situation, labor experts said that the authorities and enterprises need to implement policies that support welfare, health and improve working conditions for employees.

The Ministry of Labor, War invalids and Social Affairs is urgently developing a project to restore and develop the labor market, build solutions to help retain and attract workers who returned to their hometowns to continue to return to the labor market. The Ministry of Labor, War invalids and Social Affairs also took into account the plan to mobilize the workforce from vocational schools, strengthen training, retraining, connecting, and developing labor resources from the demobilized soldiers, etc. When the locality lacks the workforce, it is possible to mobilize the students to participate in production in the form of part-time jobs, ensuring the right provisions on law related to employment.

The Ministry of Labor, War invalids and Social Affairs recommends that localities should acknowledge basic information about the employment situation and workers' lives. Business leaders need to develop plans to restore production and business activities rapidly, including forecasts on appropriate labor demand. The above-needs requirement is to ensure the health and safety of workers, production and business activities must be accompanied by strict implementation of regulations on epidemic prevention and control.

In terms of recovering the labor market, localities need to cooperate in the supply and recruitment of labor to create connections in the labor supply chain amongst localities; supporting the employees to get back to work. On the other hand, localities need to actively guide and support enterprises to build a safe production model with a view to recovering the production businesses. Giving direction to ensure the criteria of occupational safety and hygiene, and to comply with the provisions of the labor law; giving guidance to get loans to pay salaries; supporting loans to create new jobs for recruitment and employment.

Policies for labor attraction are required

To help employees be confident to go back to work, localities need attractive policies, and support them to participate in the labor market – especially employees who work in Industrial Zones, manufacturing areas such as: partially support by cash to employees for paying the costs of travel, rent, medical care, and essential necessities, etc. The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs proposes to prioritize the vaccine for employees who work in labor-intensive enterprises, in key local industries and fields to be medically ready for employees when participating in the labor market.

According to the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, about 40,000 workers have returned to their hometown during the past time in Dong Nai. Therefore, the labor shortage in enterprises is relatively high in Dong Nai. The Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs is surveying the labor shortage in enterprises in the province to have information about the recruitment situation, the demand for labor, and the supportive policies of enterprises offer to their employees.

In addition, Dong Nai Trade Union levels are continuing to support the union’s social security package for its member and employees in difficult circumstances. Directing base level trade unions to coordinate with enterprises to complete procedures for transferring Government's welfare packages to employees so that they can return to work with a peaceful mind. The grassroots trade union needs to promote negotiation and dialogue with businesses to develop good policies to retain employees through policies on salary and special treatment for employees who stayed with the company and did not leave the company in difficult times.

As said by the Vice Chairman of the Provincial Labor Confederation – Ho Thanh Hong – all levels of The Dong Nai Trade Union will continue to accompany the authorities in the most effective epidemic prevention and control to help enterprises gradually recover and develop production business. Trade unions at all levels will intensify the information working, propaganda, persuasion, and mobilization of former skilled workers to return to work, at the same time, listening to employees’ thoughts, feelings, aspirations, and difficulties to have an appropriate solution to take care of them in the new situation.

Phong Lan