Vietnam’s Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) on May 17 decided that "The Vietnamese government will decide the work time for administrative bodies nationwide".The MoLISA has adjusted business hours for civil servants, employees and workers in administrative agencies, political and socio-political organizations. The adjustment is in line with public feedback and will be submitted to the National Assembly at the 7th session, expected to take place from May 20 to June 13.
The Vietnamese government will decide the work time for administrative bodies nationwide. Photo: Thuy Truc
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The first option would be adding an article to the Labor Code that reads "The Vietnamese government will decide the working time for administrative bodies nationwide". Working time is expected from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm with a 60-minute lunch break in between.
The second option would be not stating expressly the working time in the Labor Code but regulating it in administrative documents. Ministries’ working time will be decided by the prime minister while localities’ business hours will be fixed by head of the Provincial People's Committee.
Many people have voiced that it is irrational to apply a uniform working hour for all provinces and cities. Business hours should be regulated in the Labor Code with flexibility. There should be several working timetables for each locality to choose a suitable one. It is only possible to apply one work schedule in a province, to make the connection of services smooth. Work hours, on the other hand, should protect employees’ health and increase productivity.
On May 7, local media quoted Vice Chairman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor Ngo Duy Hieu as saying that the MoLISA should let local authorities regulate their working hours according to local conditions, for instance, Hanoi can set working time and school hours differently to avoid traffic congestion.
According to Deputy Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep, the National Assembly will discuss and decide the suitable working time, the local media reported.
For Hanoi, the regulation of working hours must be considered and evaluated in many aspects because the capital houses many state administrative bodies, with a big population of state servants, Diep said.
