The Role of Grassroots Trade Unions in Enforcing the Social Responsibility for Employees’ Social Security Rights in Enterprises During the Integration Period

Abstract

AbstractAccording to a report by Vietnam Social Insurance (VSI), the total amount of social insurance debt is increasing in all provinces and cities across Vietnam. Statistics show that, as of March 31, 2019, the total amount of interest-bearing debt had reached 6,654 billion VND. Vietnam Social Security opined that the main reason for this debt is difficulty in the production of enterprises. In some places, awareness of the need to make social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance contributions is limited; the number of businesses that are bankrupt and dissolved whose owners are missing remains high; and circumventing, evading, and appropriating employees’ contributions for other purposes still occurs. To guarantee employees’ rights and interests of employees, the supervision of trade unions at all levels over social insurance, unemployment insurance, and health insurance for employees in enterprises is required. Trade unions at all levels, especially grassroots trade unions in enterprises, should consider the implementation of corporate social responsibility a basic requirement of their activity. Therefore, this article focuses on the activities of grassroots trade unions to enforce the social responsibility for employees’ social security rights (insurance regime, social insurance, health insurance, etc.) in enterprises.