An overview of the session. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI — The National Assembly (NA) on Monday voted to pass the amended Law on Employment with 455 out of 459 deputies present approving it, reaching 99.12 per cent.

The amended Law on Employment consists of eight chapters and 55 articles.

It stipulates policies to support job creation, labour registration, labour market information system, vocational skills development, employment services, unemployment insurance and management of employment.

The law regulates that workers are Vietnamese citizens aged 15 years or older who are capable of working and have a need to work. In the case of minor workers, conditions must be ensured according to the Labour Code.

The employment principles are to ensure the right to work, freedom to choose work and workplace, equality in employment opportunities, wages and income and ensure work in safe and hygienic conditions.

The law strictly prohibits discrimination in employment; fraud and falsification of records in implementing employment policies, employment services, assessment and issuance of national vocational skills certificates.

It bans taking advantage of employment service activities to infringe upon national sovereignty, national defence, security, national and ethnic interests, social order and safety, public interests, and the legitimate rights and interests of organisations and individuals.

The law also prohibits exploiting, sharing, buying, selling, exchanging, appropriating and illegally using information and data in the database on workers and information on the labour market.

Employees have the right to have their labour registration information protected in accordance with laws on personal data protection and other relevant legal provisions; to have their information exploited in the employee database; to have their labour registration information adjusted and updated by competent authorities in the employee database.

They also have rights to use their information in the employee database in transactions, access and enjoy policies to support job creation, assessment, granting of national vocational skills certificates, and job consultation and referral.

Employees are obliged to carry out labour registration; provide complete, accurate, honest and timely labour registration information to competent agencies and employers and be responsible for the information provided.

According to the law, unemployment insurance regimes include job counseling and referral, support for employees to participate in training and improve vocational skills, unemployment benefits, support for employers to train, foster and improve vocational skills to maintain employment.

In case of economic recession and crisis, natural disaster, fire, war or dangerous epidemic, based on the actual situation and the Unemployment Insurance Fund situation, the Government will prescribe a reduction in unemployment insurance premiums and provide cash or other support.

The levels of contribution and responsibility for unemployment insurance are stipulated as employees contribute a maximum of one per cent of monthly salary; employers contribute a maximum of one per cent of the monthly salary fund of employees participating in unemployment insurance; the State supports a maximum of one per cent of the monthly salary fund for unemployment insurance contribution of employees participating in unemployment insurance. — VNS