BÌNH DƯƠNG  — Việt Nam is now home to more than 80,000 skilled foreign workers, according to Lê Quang Trung, deputy head of the Department of Employment under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA).

They come from over 100 countries and territories and work as managers, managing directors, experts and technical workers, among other professions, Trung said at a meeting on employment hosted by the ministry in the southern province of Bình Dương on Thursday.

As much as 95 per cent of eligible foreign workers in Việt Nam have been granted work permits, he said, adding that they provide a significant contingent of skilled, experienced and professional workers for Việt Nam.

However, he noted that there is a lack of close, timely and comprehensive coordination in managing foreign labourers among local authorised agencies, while violations have not been strictly handled.

The sense of law observance of some contractors, businesses and foreign workers in recruiting, employing labourers and following work permit regulations remains limited. He noted that some foreigners do enter Việt Nam before applying for work permits.

The increasing number of foreign workers in Việt Nam requires subsequent improvements in the legal system to ensure the rights of migrant workers, especially with regard to social security.

Social insurance authorities in the country have developed a compulsory social insurance scheme for foreign workers in Việt Nam, citing the need to follow international practices as the country deepens its integration into the global community.

 The 2014 Law on Social Insurance requires compulsory enrollment of foreign workers in the social insurance scheme, starting in 2018, to ensure their welfare. However, this has not yet been realised due to a lack of guiding documents.

A MoLISA draft decree also proposed that foreign workers be required to take part in all five social insurance programmes including pensions and insurance for sickness, maternity, and cover for injuries, disease, or death in the workplace. — VNS