Foreign workers eligible to join trade unions in Vietnam
VOV.VN - Foreign workers employed in enterprises, organizations, or sectors are eligible to join trade unions in Vietnam if they meet certain conditions, according to the draft Trade Union Law (amended) presented at the ongoing session of the National Assembly.
Presenting a report on the explanation and revision of the draft law, Chairwoman of the National Assembly’s Social Affairs Committee Nguyen Thuy Anh, stated that the drafting agency – the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour –has suggested two options to the National Assembly, opting for option 1, which involves supplementing the rights of foreign workers to join and engage in activities of trade unions in Vietnam.
The documentation presented to the National Assembly during the previous session included reference materials that provided insights into legal practices of several countries regarding the inclusion of foreign workers in trade unions.
Such a move aims to institutionalize the Party’s policy on modernizing the organization and activities of Vietnamese trade unions in the new context that Vietnam has engaged in new generation free trade agreements, address the requirements for implementing international labour commitments that Vietnam has made, and ensure consistency and coherence within the current legal framework, particularly in relation to the Labour Code.
Taking into account opinions of many National Assembly deputies and relevant authorities, the National Assembly Standing Committee directed the revision of the draft Trade Union Law to stipulate that foreign workers with employment contracts of 12 months or longer in Vietnam have the right to join and participate in grassroots trade unions.
In addition, Provision 5 of Article 4 of the draft law specifies that trade union officials must be Vietnamese citizens, so foreign workers cannot become trade union officials.
In another development, the draft law maintains the rate of 2% of the total salary fund as the basis for social insurance contributions for workers. During discussions, several deputies agreed that, given the state’s limited resources, maintaining the 2% rate is reasonable to ensure sustainable funding for labour welfare and the operations of trade unions.
The decision to keep the regulation on the obligation to contribute 2% of the salary fund to the trade union fund has been in place since 1957 to ensure stable welfare for workers.
