Crooked bosses steal workers' wages
Hundreds of workers have lost months of wages and insurance protection after their employers disappeared, leaving them without pay or jobs, with authorities struggling to curb what is perceived to be a growing problem.
On April 17, 300 workers at Outdoor Co. in HCM City discovered their bosses had closed operations without informing them, disappeared with their wages and not paid their insurance.
The workers approached authorities to intercede, after which the owners promised to make good with unpaid wages.
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But at Bach Hop Co., workers discovered the owners had disappeared owing them three-month wages, and had not paid more than VND500million worth of insurance. of insurance. Authorities had been unable to find the owners.
Nguyen Van Khai, vice chairman of the HCM City Labour Union, said the problem was growing in frequency, but the union was limited in its response because it was not a government management agency.
"With the Bach Hop Company case, we decided to pay the insurance for pregnant women so they did not lose maternity benefits. But other cases have not been solved," Khai said.
The Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Pham Minh Huan, said lack of clear regulations prevented agencies from protecting workers and urged local authorities help workers maintain their insurance.
The National Assembly asked authorities at all levels to protect workers left unemployed by sudden closures. Unpaid insurance amounts to VND700 billion due to dissolution and bankruptcy.