Vietnamese Labor Code 2012

CHAPTER 1 ................................................................................................................................................................... 1General Provisions ......................................................................................................................................................... 1Article 1 Governing scope................................................................................................................................... 1Article 2 Applicable entities ................................................................................................................................ 1Article 3 Interpretation of terms.......................................................................................................................... 1Article 4 State''''s policy on labour ........................................................................................................................ 2Article 5 Rights and obligations of employees .................................................................................................... 3Article 6 Rights and obligations of employers .................................................................................................... 3Article 7 Labour relationship .............................................................................................................................. 4Article 8 Conduct which is strictly prohibited..................................................................................................... 4CHAPTER 2 ................................................................................................................................................................... 5Employment.................................................................................................................................................................... 5Article 9 Employment and finding jobs............................................................................................................ 5Article 10 Right of workers to work .................................................................................................................. 5Article 11 Right of employers to recruit labour ................................................................................................ 5Article 12 State policy on employment .............................................................................................................. 5Article 13 Employment programs ..................................................................................................................... 5Article 14 Employment services organizations ................................................................................................. 6CHAPTER 3 ................................................................................................................................................................... 6Labour Contracts ........................................................................................................................................................... 6Section 1 ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6Signing Labour Contracts ............................................................................................................................................ 6Article 15 Labour contracts .............................................................................................................................. 6Article 16 Forms of labour contract ................................................................................................................. 6Article 17 Principles for signing labour contracts............................................................................................ 6Article 18 Responsibility to sign labour contracts ............................................................................................ 7Article 19 Responsibility to provide information before signing a labour contract.......................................... 7Article 20 Prohibited conduct by an employer when signing and performing a labour contract ..................... 7Article 21 Entering into multiple labour contracts with multiple employers .................................................... 7Article 22 Types of labour contract................................................................................................................... 7Article 23 Contents of labour contracts ............................................................................................................ 8Article 24 Addenda to labour contracts ............................................................................................................ 9Article 25 Effectiveness of a labour contract .................................................................................................... 9Article 26 Probationary period of work ............................................................................................................ 9Article 27 Duration of probationary period ...................................................................................................... 9Article 28 Wage during probationary period .................................................................................................. 10 Article 29 Termination of probationary period............................................................................................... 10Section 2 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10Performance of Labour Contracts ............................................................................................................................. 10Article 30 Performing work pursuant to a labour contract............................................................................. 10Article 31 Assigning employee to do other work different from the labour contract ...................................... 10Article 32 Cases in which suspension of performance of a labour contract is permitted ............................... 10Article 33 Responsibility to receive the employee back to work on expiry of suspension of performance of labour contract ............................................................................................................................... 11Article 34 Employees working part-time......................................................................................................... 11Section 3 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11Amending, Supplementing and Terminating Labour Contracts ................................................................................. 11Article 35 Amending and supplementing labour contracts ............................................................................. 11Article 36 Circumstances in which labour contract is terminated .................................................................. 11Article 37 Circumstances in which an employee has the right to unilaterally terminate the labour contract 12Article 38 Circumstances in which an employer has the right to unilaterally terminate the labour contract 13Article 39 Circumstances in which an employer is not permitted to unilaterally terminate a labour contract........................................................................................................................................................ 14Article 40 Rescission of unilateral termination of labour contract ................................................................. 14Article 41 Illegal unilateral termination of labour contract ........................................................................... 14Article 42 Obligations of employer who unilaterally terminates a labour contract illegally ......................... 14Article 43 Obligations of employee who unilaterally terminates a labour contract illegally ......................... 15Article 44 Obligations of employer in cases of restructuring, change of technology, or [changes for]economic reasons ........................................................................................................................... 15Article 45 Obligations of employer upon merger, consolidation, division or separation of an enterprise orco-operative.................................................................................................................................... 15Article 46 Labour usage plan.......................................................................................................................... 15Article 47 Responsibilities of employers who terminate labour contracts ...................................................... 16Article 48 Severance allowance on retrenchment ........................................................................................... 16Article 49 Severance allowance for job loss ................................................................................................... 16Section 4 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17Invalid Labour Contracts ........................................................................................................................................... 17Article 50 Invalid labour contract................................................................................................................... 17Article 51 Authority to declare a labour contract invalid ............................................................................... 17Article 52 Dealing with invalid labour contracts............................................................................................ 17Section 5 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 18Labour Outsourcing ................................................................................................................................................... 18Article 53 Labour outsourcing [or sub-leasing] ............................................................................................. 18Article 54 Labour outsourcing enterprises ..................................................................................................... 18Article 55 Labour sublease contract ............................................................................................................... 18Article 56 Rights and obligations of labour outsourcing enterprises.............................................................. 19Article 57 Rights and obligations of sub-leasing employers ........................................................................... 19Article 58 Rights and obligations of sub-leased employees ............................................................................ 20CHAPTER 4 ................................................................................................................................................................. 20Apprenticeship, Providing Training, and Fostering Improvement of Job and Professional Skills ...................... 20Article 59 Apprenticeship and providing trade training ................................................................................. 20Article 60 Responsibilities of employers to provide training, to foster and improve job and professional skills........................................................................................................................................................ 20 Article 61 Apprenticeship and practical training in order to work for an employer ...................................... 20Article 62 Trade training contract between employer and employee and training fees.................................. 21CHAPTER 5 ................................................................................................................................................................. 22Discussion at Workplaces, Collective Bargaining, and Collective Labour Agreements ........................................ 22Section 1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 22Discussion at Workplaces .......................................................................................................................................... 22Article 63 Objectives and form of discussion at workplaces........................................................................... 22Article 64 Contents of discussion at workplaces ............................................................................................. 22Article 65 Conducting discussion at workplace .............................................................................................. 22Section 2 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 23Collective Bargaining ................................................................................................................................................ 23Article 66 Objective of collective bargaining.................................................................................................. 23Article 67 Principles for collective bargaining ............................................................................................... 23Article 68 Right to require collective bargaining............................................................................................ 23Article 69 Representation at collective bargaining......................................................................................... 23Article 70 Matters subject to collective bargaining ........................................................................................ 24Article 71 Collective bargaining process ........................................................................................................ 24Article 72 Responsibilities during collective bargaining of the trade union, of the organization representing the employer, and of the State administrative body for labour....................................................... 25Section 3 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 25Collective Labour Agreement..................................................................................................................................... 25Article 73 Collective labour agreement ........................................................................................................... 25Article 74 Signing a collective labour agreement ........................................................................................... 25Article 75 Sending copies of a collective agreement to State administrative bodies....................................... 26Article 76 Effective date of collective labour agreement ................................................................................ 26Article 77 Amendments and additions to collective labour agreement ........................................................... 26Article 78 Invalid collective labour agreement ............................................................................................... 26Article 79 Authority to declare a collective labour agreement invalid ........................................................... 26Article 80 Dealing with an invalid collective labour agreement..................................................................... 27Article 81 Expiry of collective labour agreement............................................................................................ 27Article 82 Expenses for collective bargaining and for signing collective labour agreement.......................... 27Section 4 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 27Enterprise Collective Labour Agreement ................................................................................................................... 27Article 83 Signing an enterprise collective labour agreement ........................................................................ 27Article 84 Implementation of enterprise collective labour agreement ............................................................ 27Article 85 Duration of enterprise collective labour agreement ...................................................................... 28Article 86 Implementation of collective labour agreement when an enterprise transfers ownership of, right to manage or right to use the enterprise, or merges, consolidates, divides or separates ................... 28Section 5 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 28Industry Collective Labour Agreement ...................................................................................................................... 28Article 87 Signing an industry collective labour agreement ........................................................................... 28Article 88 Relationship between enterprise collective labour agreement and industry collective labour agreement ....................................................................................................................................... 28Article 89 Duration of industry collective labour agreement.......................................................................... 29CHAPTER 6 ................................................................................................................................................................. 29 Wages ............................................................................................................................................................................ 29Article 90 Wages ............................................................................................................................................. 29Article 91 Minimum wage rate........................................................................................................................ 29Article 92 National Wage Council .................................................................................................................. 30Article 93 Formulation of wage scales, wage tables and labour rates ........................................................... 30Article 94 Method of payment of wages .......................................................................................................... 30Article 95 Periodic payment of wages............................................................................................................. 30Article 96 Principles for payment of wages .................................................................................................... 30Article 97 Wages for working overtime and for night work ............................................................................ 31Article 98 Wages on ceasing work .................................................................................................................. 31Article 99 Payment of wages by [contractor''''s] foreman................................................................................. 31Article 100 Payment of wages in advance......................................................................................................... 32Article 101 Deducting sums from wages ........................................................................................................... 32Article 102 Regime on allowances, subsidies, promotion and wage increases................................................. 32Article 103 Bonuses .......................................................................................................................................... 32CHAPTER 7 ................................................................................................................................................................. 32Working Hours and Rest Breaks ................................................................................................................................ 32Section 1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 32Working Hours ........................................................................................................................................................... 32Article 104 Normal working hours.................................................................................................................... 32Article 105 Night working hours ....................................................................................................................... 33Article 106 Additional working hours [overtime] ............................................................................................. 33Article 107 Additional working hours [overtime] in special cases ................................................................... 33Section 2 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 34Rest Breaks................................................................................................................................................................. 34Article 108 Rest breaks during working periods ............................................................................................... 34Article 109 Rest breaks in order to transfer between shifts .............................................................................. 34Article 110 Weekly days off ............................................................................................................................... 34Article 111 Annual leave ................................................................................................................................... 34Article 112 Additional leave according to years of employment....................................................................... 35Article 113 Payment of wages in advance and travelling expenses for annual leave ....................................... 35Article 114 Payment of wages for leave not taken ............................................................................................ 35Section 3 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 35Festivals [Public Holidays], Personal Leave of Absence and Leave without Pay ..................................................... 35Article 115 Festivals [public holidays] and New Year ..................................................................................... 35Article 116 Personal leave of absence and leave without pay .......................................................................... 36Section 4 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 36Working hours and Rest Breaks for Workers on Jobs of a Special Nature ................................................................ 36Article 117 Working hours and rest breaks for workers on jobs of a special nature ........................................ 36CHAPTER 8 ................................................................................................................................................................. 36Labour Discipline and Liability for Damage ............................................................................................................. 36Section 1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 36Labour Discipline....................................................................................................................................................... 36 Article 118 Labour discipline............................................................................................................................ 36Article 119 Internal labour rules ...................................................................................................................... 37Article 120 Registration of internal labour rules .............................................................................................. 37Article 121 File for registration of internal labour rules .................................................................................. 37Article 122 Effective date of internal labour rules ............................................................................................ 37Article 123 Principles and sequence for dealing with breach of labour discipline........................................... 38Article 124 Limitation period for dealing with breach of labour discipline ..................................................... 38Article 125 Forms of dealing with breach of labour discipline ........................................................................ 39Article 126 Application of dismissal as a form of dealing with breach of labour discipline ............................ 39Article 127 Automatic clearance, and reduction of term of compliance with a labour disciplinary decision .. 39Article 128 Prohibited conduct when dealing with breach of labour discipline ............................................... 40Article 129 Temporary suspension of work....................................................................................................... 40Section 2 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 40Liability for Material Loss ......................................................................................................................................... 40Article 130 Payment of compensation for loss and damage ............................................................................. 40Article 131 Principles, sequence and procedures for ordering payment of compensation for loss and damage41Article 132 Complaints about labour discipline and about liability for loss and damage................................ 41CHAPTER 9 ................................................................................................................................................................. 41Occupational Safety and Hygiene ............................................................................................................................... 41Section 1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 41General Provisions on Occupational Safety and Hygiene ......................................................................................... 41Article 133 Compliance with law on occupational safety and hygiene............................................................. 41Article 134 State''''s policy on occupational safety and hygiene.......................................................................... 41Article 135 Program on occupational safety and hygiene ................................................................................ 41Article 136 National technical regulations on occupational safety and hygiene .............................................. 41Article 137 Ensuring occupational safety and hygiene in the workplace ......................................................... 42Article 138 Obligations of employers and employees for occupational safety and hygiene work .................... 42Section 2 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 43Work-Related Accidents and Occupational Disease .................................................................................................. 43Article 139 Person conducting occupational safety and hygiene work............................................................. 43Article 140 Dealing with incidents and emergency rescue ............................................................................... 43Article 141 Allowance in kind to employees working in a dangerous or toxic environment............................. 43Article 142 Work-related accidents................................................................................................................... 43Article 143 Occupational disease ..................................................................................................................... 44Article 144 Responsibilities of employers owed to employees who contract an occupational disease or are injured in a work-related accident ................................................................................................. 44Article 145 Rights of employees injured in a work-related accident or who contract an occupational disease44Article 146 Conduct which is prohibited in the occupational safety and hygiene sector.................................. 45Section 3 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 45Prevention of Work-Related Accidents and Occupational Disease ........................................................................... 45Article 147 Testing and verification of machinery, equipment and materials with strict requirements for occupational safety......................................................................................................................... 45Article 148 Plan on occupational safety and hygiene ....................................................................................... 45Article 149 Personal protective facilities for workers ...................................................................................... 45Article 150 Training on occupational safety and hygiene................................................................................. 46Article 151 Information about occupational safety and hygiene ...................................................................... 46 Article 152 Health care for employees.............................................................................................................. 46CHAPTER 10 ............................................................................................................................................................... 47Separate Provisions on Female Employees ................................................................................................................ 47Article 153 State policies on female employees ................................................................................................ 47Article 154 Obligations of employers owed to female employees ..................................................................... 47Article 155 Protecting pregnancy of female employees .................................................................................... 47Article 156 Right of pregnant employees to unilaterally terminate or postpone performance of labour contract........................................................................................................................................................ 48Article 157 Maternity leave............................................................................................................................... 48Article 158 Guaranteeing jobs of female employees on maternity leave .......................................................... 49Article 159 Subsidies when taking leave to care for a sick child, to attend a pregnancy examination, or tocarry out family planning programs............................................................................................... 49Article 160 Work which must not be assigned to female employees ................................................................. 49CHAPTER 11 ............................................................................................................................................................... 49Separate Provisions on Junior Workers and a Number of Other Classes of Workers .......................................... 49Section 1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 49Junior Workers........................................................................................................................................................... 49Article 161 Junior workers................................................................................................................................ 49Article 162 Employment of junior workers ....................................................................................................... 49Article 163 Principles for employing junior workers ........................................................................................ 49Article 164 Employment of workers under the age of fifteen (15) years ........................................................... 50Article 165 Prohibited jobs and prohibited workplaces in the case of junior employees ................................. 50Section 2 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 51Senior Workers........................................................................................................................................................... 51Article 166 Senior workers................................................................................................................................ 51Article 167 Employment of senior workers ....................................................................................................... 51Section 3 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 52Vietnamese Working Abroad, Labour for Foreign Organizations or Individuals in Vietnam, Foreign EmployeesWorking in Vietnam.................................................................................................................................................... 52Article 168 Vietnamese working abroad, and Vietnamese working for foreign organizations and individuals inVietnam .......................................................................................................................................... 52Article 169 Conditions for foreign citizens to work in Vietnam ........................................................................ 52Article 170 Conditions for recruiting workers being foreign citizens ............................................................... 52Article 171 Work permits for foreigners working in Vietnam ........................................................................... 53Article 172 Foreign citizens working in Vietnam not required to have work permits....................................... 53Article 173 Valid duration of work permits....................................................................................................... 53Article 174 Circumstances in which validity of work permit expires ................................................................ 53Article 175 Issuance, re-issuance and withdrawal of work permits.................................................................. 54Section 4 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 54Disabled Workers ....................................................................................................................................................... 54Article 176 State policies on disabled workers ................................................................................................. 54Article 177 Employment of disabled persons .................................................................................................... 54Article 178 Prohibited conduct when employing disabled workers .................................................................. 54Section 5 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 55 Workers being Domestic Servants.............................................................................................................................. 55Article 179 Domestic servants........................................................................................................................... 55Article 180 Labour contracts of domestic servants ........................................................................................... 55Article 181 Obligations of employers owed to domestic servants ..................................................................... 55Article 182 Obligations of domestic servants.................................................................................................... 55Article 183 Conduct by employers which is strictly prohibited......................................................................... 56Section 6 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 56Other Workers ............................................................................................................................................................ 56Article 184 Employees in the artistic sector, and sports and physical training sector ..................................... 56Article 185 Workers performing home-based work .......................................................................................... 56CHAPTER 12 ............................................................................................................................................................... 56Social Insurance ........................................................................................................................................................... 56Article 186 Participation in social insurance ................................................................................................... 56Article 187 Retirement age................................................................................................................................ 57CHAPTER 13 ............................................................................................................................................................... 57Trade Unions ................................................................................................................................................................ 57Article 188 Role of trade unions in the labour relationship.............................................................................. 57Article 189 Establishing, joining and participating in activities of trade unions at enterprises, agencies and organizations .................................................................................................................................. 57Article 190 Conduct which is strictly prohibited by an employer regarding establishing, joining and participating in trade union activities ............................................................................................ 58Article 191 Rights of grassroots trade union officials in the labour relationship ............................................. 58Article 192 Responsibilities of employers owed to trade unions....................................................................... 58Article 193 Guarantee of operational conditions of trade unions at enterprises, agencies and organizations 59CHAPTER 14 ............................................................................................................................................................... 59Resolution of Labour Disputes .................................................................................................................................... 59Section 1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 59General Provisions on Resolution of Labour Disputes .............................................................................................. 59Article 194 Principles for resolution of labour disputes ................................................................................... 59Article 195 Responsibilities of agencies, organizations and individuals in resolution of labour disputes ....... 60Article 196 Rights and obligations of the two parties during resolution of a labour dispute ........................... 60Article 197 Rights of agencies, organizations and individuals competent to resolve labour disputes .............. 60Article 198 Labour conciliators ........................................................................................................................ 60Article 199 Labour arbitration councils ........................................................................................................... 61Section 2 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 61Authority and Procedures for Resolution of Individual Labour Disputes.................................................................. 61Article 200 Agencies and individuals authorized to resolve individual labour disputes................................... 61Article 201 Sequence and procedures for resolution of individual labour disputes by labour conciliators ..... 61Article 202 Limitation periods for requesting resolution of an individual labour dispute................................ 62Section 3 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 62Authority and Procedures for Resolution of Collective Labour Disputes .................................................................. 62 Article 203 Agencies, organizations and individuals authorized to resolve collective labour disputes............ 62Article 204 Order for resolution of a collective labour dispute at the grassroots level .................................... 63Article 205 Resolution of a collective labour dispute about rights by the chairman of the district people''''s committee ....................................................................................................................................... 63Article 206 Resolution of a collective labour dispute about benefits by a labour arbitration council.............. 64Article 207 Limitation period for requesting resolution of a collective labour dispute about rights ................ 64Article 208 Prohibition on unilateral acts during the process of resolution of a collective labour dispute ..... 64Section 4 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 65Strikes and Resolution of Strikes ................................................................................................................................ 65Article 209 Strikes ............................................................................................................................................. 65Article 210 Organizing and leading a strike ..................................................................................................... 65Article 211 Sequence for a strike ...................................................................................................................... 65Article 212 Procedures for obtaining opinions from the labour collective ....................................................... 65Article 213 Notification of time of commencement of a strike .......................................................................... 65Article 214 Rights of parties before and during a strike ................................................................................... 66Article 215 Circumstances in which a strike is illegal ...................................................................................... 66Article 216 Notification of decision to temporarily close a workplace ............................................................. 67Article 217 Circumstances in which it is prohibited to temporarily close a workplace.................................... 67Article 218 Wages and other lawful benefits of employees during period of a strike ....................................... 67Article 219 Conduct which is prohibited before, during and after a strike....................................................... 67Article 220 Circumstances in which strikes are prohibited .............................................................................. 68Article 221 Decision staying or suspending a strike ......................................................................................... 68Article 222 Dealing with a strike which does not comply with sequence and procedures ................................ 68Section 5 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 68Strikes and Resolution of Strikes ................................................................................................................................ 68Article 223 Petitioning a court to consider legality of a strike ......................................................................... 68Article 224 Procedures for lodging a petition with a court to consider legality of a strike .............................. 69Article 225 Authority to consider legality of a strike ........................................................................................ 69Article 226 Composition of Council of Adjudicators to consider legality of a strike........................................ 69Article 227 Procedures for resolution of a petition to consider [hear] legality of a strike............................... 69Article 228 Staying consideration of legality of a strike ................................................................................... 69Article 229 Persons [required to] participate in a session hearing legality of a strike .................................... 70Article 230 Stay of a session hearing legality of a strike .................................................................................. 70Article 231 Procedures for a session hearing legality of a strike ..................................................................... 70Article 232 Decision on legality of a strike ....................................................................................................... 70Article 233 Dealing with breaches.................................................................................................................... 71Article 234 Sequence and procedures for resolving a complaint about a decision on legality of a strike ........ 71CHAPTER 15 ............................................................................................................................................................... 71State Administration of Labour .................................................................................................................................. 71Article 235 Contents of State administration of labour..................................................................................... 71Article 236 Authority for State administration of labour .................................................................................. 72CHAPTER 16 ............................................................................................................................................................... 72State Inspection of Labour and Dealing with Breaches of the Law on Labour ...................................................... 72Article 237 Duties of State Labour Inspectorates ............................................................................................. 72Article 238 Labour Inspectorates...................................................................................................................... 72Article 239 Dealing with breaches in the labour sector.................................................................................... 73 CHAPTER 17 ............................................................................................................................................................... 73Implementing Provisions ............................................................................................................................................. 73Article 240 Effectiveness ................................................................................................................................... 73Article 241 Effectiveness in the case of locations employing less than ten employees...................................... 73Article 242 Detailed regulations and guidelines on implementation ................................................................ 74