City mulls ways to better monitor foreign workers

LookAtVietnam – The HCMC government is seeking drastic measures to cope with a huge flow of unlicensed foreign laborers, said director of Department of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs Le Thanh Tam on Wednesday.

The number of registered foreign employees surged to 1,700 within the first six months of this year, or nearly 70% of 2008’s figure.. (Photo: VNN)

Local enterprises registered at the department to employ 1,800 foreign laborers in 2007 and 2,500 ones in 2008. The number of registered foreign employees surged to 1,700 within the first six months of this year, or nearly 70% of 2008’s figure.

However, the department has failed to put under control a large number of unlicensed foreign workers, which poses a threat on labor and social security in the city.

There are around 50,000 foreigners living the HCMC at present with thousands believed working in the city without work permits. Meanwhile, the city has only punished 569 foreign violators and expelled 168 African nationals in the first half of this year, said Le Thanh Binh, deputy director of the HCMC Police.

Information from law enforcement officers shows that at least 5,000 unregistered foreigners are working at companies and workshops.

The labor department has inspected 171 companies in the city so far this year and imposed a total fine of VND75 million on 14 enterprises for violation of foreign labor regulations. Under prevailing rules, unskilled foreign workers are not issued work permits in the country.

Some enterprises have tried to evade the fine or repeat the violation as the punishment is deemed too soft, chief inspector Huynh Tan Dung said on Wednesday.

The city government will asked departments of labor, public Security, planning and investment to put strict control on foreign workers in the future. “We will disseminate regulations on foreign worker management and inspect 400 companies with foreign employees,” Tam of the labor department said.

These departments will also inform each other of laborer figures each month to have timely solutions. The Department of Construction will inspect contractors hiring foreign workers while the Immigration Department will not extend visas for unlicensed workers.

Vietnam has loosened regulations on foreign worker employment after entering the World Trade Organization. As a result, foreign unskilled laborers are coming en masse into the country, Tam said.

Relevant departments have also met more problems to monitor the workers. They were hired by foreign contractors to work at construction projects or are staying here on tourism visas.

“Pou Yuen Co. Ltd in Binh Tan district was uncovered to register just 300 out of 900 foreign workers. The unlicensed employees have been working in the company for a long time,” Tam said.

He added that some foreign family-owned companies even hire their relatives although they are not qualified to work in Vietnam.

VietNamNet/SGT