Timely support given to employees and businesses

Accordingly, an aid package worth VND30 trillion, allocated from the balance of the Unemployment Insurance Fund, will be given based on the principles of payment-benefits, sharing and fairness for employees and businesses participating in unemployment insurance schemes.

Assessing this policy, experts say Resolution No.16 expresses the Party’s and State’s great attention towards employees and employers affected by the pandemic, contributing to supporting labourers to overcome difficulties as well as preventing the disruption of the labour supply chain and labour shortages. The aid package will help employers reduce their costs, adapt to the new normal, maintain production and business activities and create jobs for workers. The resolution will promote the role of unemployment insurance as a solid support for both employees and employers.

The policy also demonstrates the nature, role and significance of the unemployment insurance in the economy and labour market. However, employees wish the policy should take effect immediately and be disbursed quickly to promptly handle all difficulties of workers and enterprises.

In order to help labourers avail of the aid soon, the trade union experts noted that the agencies should clearly define the recipients, simplify their procedures and apply information and technology in their implementation. The support must be carried out simply, promptly, transparently and effectively. The workers want trade union organisations to proactively and actively participate in inspecting the implementation of the resolution to ensure they can be covered by the aid.

According to policy makers, this aid package aims at a large number of labourers. However, the payment of benefits for them is relatively convenient because there is a database of workers and businesses available. The most important issue is to clearly identify the beneficiaries and apply technology to the implementation of the policy.

It is crucial to select workers among beneficiaries of unemployment insurance from eligible enterprises because many businesses participated in the scheme but their owners are not present at the units or many enterprises have not been able to pay insurance premiums in recent months due to financial difficulties.

In addition, employees who are taking maternity leave or suffering sickness and occupational diseases need to be considered. Workers covered by unemployment insurance but who temporarily suspended the performance of their labour contracts also need the support because they are facing many difficulties due to pandemic prevention measures.

For businesses, the reduction of the payment to the unemployment insurance scheme is the aspiration of all employers during the difficult time. The reduction of the monthly salary fund of employees participating in unemployment insurance from 1% to 0% is also a support for enterprises. Thanks to that, businesses will have more funds to restore production and continue epidemic prevention and control measures. Therefore, authorities should simplify procedures and not require too many documents.

However, it is also necessary to make strict and transparent regulations to avoid any taking advantage of the policy to seek private profit. The Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs must direct the relevant agencies to implement the policy’s contents according to simplified orders and procedures as well as guide, inspect and urge the Vietnam Social Security and localities to carry out the Government’s resolution and the Prime Minister’s decision. The ministry will continue to propose solutions to remove difficulties and problems arising during the implementation period.

Besides this, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, representative organisations for employers and political-social organisations should actively propagandise, mobilise and inspect the implementation of the Resolution.

Source: Nhan Dan Online