According to the voters in Bac Kan province, currently, many enterprises have mainly recruited and employed workers at the age of 18 to 35. When over these ages, in many different ways, the enterprise has terminated the contracts, causing difficulties for employees.

Sending comments to the 7th session, the XIV National Assembly, voters in Bac Kan province requested the authorities should have a mechanism to ensure long-term and stable jobs for employees in industrial parks, export processing zones, and provide accommodation for employees so that they can work in peace of mind.

Regarding this issue, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs responded to voters in Bac Kan province as follows:

The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has coordinated with the Committee for Social Affairs of the National Assembly to survey the above issue in 16 provinces and cities, the termination of over 35 years old employees labor contracts accounted for only 5-10% in the total number of employees leaving the enterprises.

In May 2018, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs held surveys at some enterprises in Thai Binh and Hai Duong provinces (including footwear and textile enterprises), the percentage of over 35 years old employees working in the enterprises was about 65%, in some enterprises that percentage was over 87.5%. Many enterprises also recruited hundreds of employees over 35 years old.

The 2012 Labor Code stipulated the illegal unilateral termination of labor contracts as well as the obligations of the employer when unilaterally terminating a labor contract illegally. However, the termination of over 35 years old employees’ labor contracts is also a fact and the opinions of delegates and voters are also warnings in improving policies and laws on labor.

The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs is urgently carrying out the following tasks:

- Review and evaluate current regulations on recruitment, entering into labor contracts, and employing workers, especially elderly employees and female employees;

- Promote propaganda and dissemination of policies to raise awareness of the rights and obligations of the parties in the labor relations;

- Strengthen labor-management work, inspection, and examination to ensure that enterprises strictly comply with the regulations of the labor law;

- Study, propose amendments to employment policies, unemployment insurances in the direction of adequately focusing on policies to support enterprises to maintain production, maintain employments, limit dismissals, especially for objects who are easy to be dismissed such as middle-aged and elderly employees, especially female employees.

- Study the experiences of other countries on employment maintenance for elderly employees.