Labour confederation proposes reducing workweek to 44 hours
(VOVWORLD) - The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor has recommended cutting weekly working hours from the current 48 to 44 in order to improve workers’ wellbeing, family life, and relationships.
 Le Dinh Quang, Deputy Head of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor’s Department of Labor Relations (Photo: laodong.vn) |
The recommendation was announced at a press conference in Hanoi on Tuesday to discuss the revised Labor Code.
Le Dinh Quang, Deputy Head of the Confederation’s Department of Labor Relations, quoted ILO statistics which show that Vietnam has one of the longest workweeks in the world, just behind Kenya and the Seychelles.
According to Quang, reducing working hours and giving workers more time to take care of their families and take part in social activities has received careful attention during the revision of the Labor Code.
Quang called the recommendation both essential and reasonable, adding: “In 1999, Vietnam promulgated a decision allowing state employees to work 40 hours a week and employees of private businesses 48 hours. That was 20 years ago. It is unfair to the working class. The revised Labor Code gives the political, economic, and social factors that argue for reducing work hours to 44 hours a week.”