Vietnamese workers in RoK get together
A get-together among over 400 Vietnamese guest workers in the Republic of Korea took place in Incheon on December 19.
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Officials in charge of overseas labour affairs from MoLISA, offered direct consultations for participating workers concerning administrative procedures upon their returning home. Meanwhile, some experienced workers shared their knowledge and advised their peers to leave when work permits expire to obtain preferential policies from both governments.
Speaking at the gathering, Tran Anh Vu from the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK lauded effective cooperation between the two nations’ labour agencies.
He highlighted their signing of a memorandum of understanding on the Employment Permit System (EPS) programme in last May, which has reopened opportunities for Vietnamese workers to enter the RoK after five-year interruption due to illegal stay in the past.
Vu took note of progress recorded in current situation of Vietnamese workers in the RoK thanks to their workers’ better legal awareness and support policies issued through cooperation of Vietnamese and Korean state agencies.
He took the occasion to greet the community a happy New Year and presented certificates of merit for some outstanding workers.
Le Manh Hung, deputy head of the MoLISA’s Overseas Workers Centre, said the EPS programme has brought positive outcomes after 12 years of implementation.
It has helped more than 90,000 Vietnamese labourers enter the RoK, with over 40,000 people still working in the host nation, he added.
He also pointed to problems hindering the programme that include job switch without clear reasons, unfavorable employer-worker relationships and illegal residence.
According to Hung, 40% of Vietnam’s workers staying longer their work permits issued by the host nation, 20 percent higher than the average figure for other countries.
More than 16,000 Vietnamese migrant worker are staying illegally in the RoK.