Illustration Photo. Source: VNAMost undocumented migrant workers have no access to social and health insurance, as heard during a workshop held in Hanoi on September 15.
The labourers include farmers, seasonal workers, maids and street vendors.
According to a survey carried out by M.Net, an action network for migrant workers, only 8.6 percent of migrant labourers are aware of social insurance and 2.9 percent received consultations on the matter. The figures for health insurance are 16 percent and 12 percent, respectively.
Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong Dam said the vulnerable group is a target of state welfare policies, saying Vietnam aims to have 50 percent of the local workforce, including both documented and undocumented workers, joining the social insurance network.
Progress barriers, such as procedure obstacles and weak connections among agencies, will be addressed in near future.
Workshop participants proposed that the Government build payment mechanisms for non-resident treatments, extent migrant labourers’ rights in acquiring and benefiting from insurance and improve health care quality, among others.
Up to 37 million labourers in Vietnam are working in the unofficial sector occuping 71 percent of the domestic workforce.-VNA
