VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs plans to improve management of guest labourers to Viet Nam because of violations that have occurred in several localities around the country.

A report by the ministry said more than 74,000 guest employees from 65 countries were working in the country. Guest labourer from China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia comprises the highest proportion.

"Most of them are technical and managing staff, and skilled workers and have received labour permits from Vietnamese agencies," said Le Quang Trung, deputy director of the ministry's Employment Department in an interview with the Viet Nam Economic Times.

According to Trung, the number of permitted guest labourers has increased to thousands of people over the last year because of higher level of foreign investment. Moreover,many labourers were sent to Viet Nam last year, but they received their work permits only recently.

However, Trung admitted that there were large numbers of unskilled guest workers working in the Central Highland provinces of Dak Nong and Lam Dong, and northern Ninh Binh Province.

These workers followed contractors to several projects, but authorities in the provinces have not reported to the ministry's Employment Department.

Trung said the Departments of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs in several localities had not carried out tasks on guest worker management in a careful manner.

Some investors and contractors in the country had also attempted to ignore the regulations on registration of guest workers, he added.

The ministry is planning to increase the penalty for violations, and will publish the names of violators in the media.

Trung said the ministry was also drafting guidelines for the enforcement of Decree 46, issued in June to supplement Decree 34 issued in 2008 on guest labour management.

The ministry has also asked localities to set up inter-sector working teams for tighter management of guest labour, including labour management agencies, public security agencies and inspectors from industrial parks.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News