Ministry to inspect illegal employment of foreign workers

The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs will organize inspections of illegal foreign labor nationwide next month, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Hoa said April 22.

There would be at least two inspection teams comprising officials from the labor ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Investment and Planning and other concerned authorities, he said.

Hoa said foreign workers are allowed to work in Vietnam, but many employers were employing them without applying for required licenses.

“Many employers inspected blamed complicated procedures (for their non-compliance) although these are mandatory,” he said.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung instructed the labor ministry to suggest, by the end of May, amendments to regulations on foreign workers and fines for violations.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has reported around 7,000 Chinese workers are currently working in industrial projects of 25 companies in 16 cities and provinces, not including those employed at a bauxite mine in the Central Highlands.

More than 6,000 of these workers work in coal, power and steel industries, while the rest are in machinery and chemical production.

Around 50,000 foreigners currently work in Vietnam, and it is estimated that 30 percent do so illegally.

An Nguyen

thanhnien

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