VietNamNet Bridge – The National Assembly Committee for Defence and Security and other organs of the legislature will conduct a survey of unskilled foreign workers in Vietnam. 

200 illegal Chinese workers sent home

Chinese workers at Nghi Son Industrial Park in Thanh Hoa province.

The committee’s Chairman Le Quang Binh said the survey is in response to public concern about unskilled foreigners illegally working in Vietnam. The Assembly will study “hot spots” to find solutions that may be recommended to the government.

Administrative fines only

Public concern about foreign laborers flooding Vietnam to work on construction projects, in particular projects run by Chinese contractors, has been high since a controversy erupted nearly two months ago over bauxite projects launched in the Central Highlands.

Recently, replying to questions posed by Dang Ngoc Tong, Chairman of the Vietnam Federation of Labor Unions, Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said that local labour inspectors have fined some employers for illegal use of foreign labour.  However, the maximum fine is not high enough to deter employers from flouting the law.

Specifically, a fine imposed by labour inspectors on foreign contractor of the Hai Phong Thermo-power Plant project was a mere 10 million dong, equivalent to US$590. Lam Dong province labour inspectors fined the foreign contractor of the controversial Nhan Co bauxite-aluminum project 45 million dong ($2,600).

In the first half of 2009, MoLISA fined 13 other employers who hired foreign workers in four other provinces a total of 95.5 million dong ($5,800).

MoLISA’s survey indicated that local authorities also dealt with such situations by requiring foreign workers who had illegally entered Vietnam to leave the country. Foreigners that enter Vietnam on tourist visas and then wish to work here must apply for work permits and fulfill formalities to change their residence status.

In the case of those who has worked in Vietnam for over six months without a permit, or whose work permit has expired, MoLISA has ‘requested’ local authorites to see that they leave Vietnam.

Illegal foreign workers forced to exit Vietnam

Labour Minister Ngan said that of more than 52,000 foreign workers in Vietnam, only 44 percent have work permits. Provinces and cities haven’t yet provided MoLISA summary reports on illegal foreign workers and statistics on foreign workers in their locations.

Unskilled workers come to Vietnam by various ways. They mainly work for foreign contractors here, Ngan said.

According to MoLISA’s current survey, foreign contractors gave various reasons for reliance on foreign labour, for example that foreign workers have good health and experience and they can meet contractors’ obligation to complete a project within a certain time.  The contractors also argue that if they recruit local workers, they will face difficulties in language.

Ngan has promised National Assembly deputies that her ministry will work with other ministries to find solutions to the problem of foreigners from enter Vietnam to work though they don’t have work permits along the following lines: 

·         Foreigners who enter Vietnam by tourist visas and wish to work in Vietnam have to ask for work permits and submit a formal request to change their residence status. Foreigners who have stayed in Vietnam for over three months without work permits or whose work permits have lapsed will not have their visas extended.

·         Foreigners found to have worked in Vietnam for over 6 months without work permits or with lapsed work permits will be expelled.

MoLISA has also instructed provinces and cities to inspect the use of foreign workers in their areas and seriously punish employers who violate the labour law. 

Le Nhung