The Labor Code, approved for the first time in 1995 and has been amended four times in 2002, 2006, 2007, and 2012, is scheduled to be passed at the Legislature’s 8th working session at the end of 2019.

The 5th edition of the Labor Code aims to institutionalize the new regulations of the 2013 Constitution as well as Viet Nam’s international commitments enshrined in the new-generation free trade agreements that Viet Nam has signed.

According to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, as many as 171/242 articles of the existing law will be amended and supplemented.

The Ministry said it is finalizing amendments to the 2012 Labor Code to submit to the National Assembly but there remain six issues that need further discussions, including overtime hours, pension ages, labor representative organizations, length of Lunar New Year Holiday, and adjustment of working hours of administrative of State agencies.

Regarding overtime hours, the Ministry suggested increasing the total overtime hours to 400 hours from the current 300 hours a year in special cases.

Pension age is proposed to increase to full 62-year-old for men and full 60-year-old for women from the current 60 and 55, respectively.

For labor representative organizations, the new edition will stipulate the rights of laborers in establishing and joining their representative organizations. The Government will issue a decree on this issue.

The Ministry suggested one day off on July 27 (the War Invalids and Martyrs Day) so that people could join activities to pay tribute to war invalids and martyrs.

For working hours of State agencies, the Ministry suggested State agencies shall start working at 8:30 instead of the current 8 a.m.

This means public employees will end working day at 5:30 p.m./.