Lawmakers discuss on iIncreasing the overtime cap and retirement age at the ongoing meeting of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI — Increasing the overtime cap and retirement age topped the agenda for lawmakers at the ongoing meeting of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee yesterday.

Discussing the draft revised Labour Code, many deputies agreed with the draft’s suggestion to increase the maximum allowable overtime working hours to 400 hours per year from the current 300.

However, they said the cap should only be applied for certain sectors and professions.

Some deputies proposed careful consideration and study about this issue to ensure the increase is in line with working conditions and workers’ health.

They said the increase must ensure agreement between employers and employees and guarantee the rights of both employers and employees.

Some deputies proposed a regulation to control the maximum allowable overtime working hours for each month.

NA Vice Chairman Đỗ Bá Tỵ said the target of the revised Labour Code was to improve the living and working conditions of workers. The overtime increase should be open for public feedback and needed further consideration to boost salary while reducing working time.

NA Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân noted careful consideration was needed for the proposal.

Violations in extra working time were still common in many areas and sectors and originated from businesses’ demands to increase their output, product orders and turnover without investment in expanding production and employing more workers, she said.

Discussing retirement age regulations, many deputies agreed with the retirement age increase roadmap as regulated by the Government, under which retirement age for males will be increased to 62 by 2028 and 60 for females by 2035.

Concluding the discussion, NA Vice Chairwoman Tòng Thị Phóng asked lawmakers to carefully review and study the feasibility of the revision of the law and harmonise the interests of both employers and employees.— VNS