The union continues to propose salary increases for medical staff

Sir, through understanding from trade unions at all levels in the industry, how do you evaluate the income, life, and working conditions of the current team of doctors and nurses?

- Report for 2024, the average income of union members and workers in the health sector is 13 million VND/person/month. However, in reality, many medical staff at the grassroots level, staff at the unit implementing district autonomy, or the reserve block can be much lower. The Ministry of Health has proposed amending vocational allowances according to Decree 56 and proposing to increase on-duty allowances to match the increase in basic salary after decades. However, the time for approval is still long.

The income of private health workers is much higher than that of public health facilities, and working conditions are better, so there is still a situation of changing jobs from public health to the private sector. Most health sector service units are autonomous to create conditions for providing effective services and higher labor productivity. However, the life of health workers has not increased because the current price of health services has not been calculated correctly and fully, with only 4/7 factors. To balance salary payments for staff, units limit the recruitment of staff and patients in large numbers, if staff do not increase, the work pressure of staff will increase.

The health sector continues to face many challenges, especially high work pressure and many difficulties in the lives of staff and employees. Therefore, taking care of the material and spiritual lives of union members is always a key task. During the operation, we have received attention and close direction from the Party Committee of the Ministry of Health, the leaders of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, the consensus of Party committees at all levels, unit leaders and the active response of trade unions at all levels and union members.

During the recent Lunar New Year, the Vietnam Health Trade Union, together with the leaders and Executive Board of grassroots trade unions, spent VND 20,330,156,392 to take care of 30,213 union members and workers in the health sector with difficult circumstances and low income.

Of which, the Vietnam Health Trade Union directly paid 3,077 union members of 100 grassroots unions with a total amount of VND 2,153,900,000; gave Tet gifts to 291 union members in difficult circumstances with a total amount of VND 87,300,000.

In the coming time, what specific activities will the Vietnam Health Trade Union implement to increasingly better care for health workers?

- The Vietnam Health Trade Union will continue to participate in developing and recommending policies to increase income, improve working conditions and benefits for union members in the health sector.

First of all, it is necessary to strengthen training, coaching, and dissemination of policies and laws related to labor, wages, etc. to grassroots unions, union officials, union members, and workers. Grassroots trade unions need to better perform the function of protecting the legitimate and legal rights and interests of union members and workers: The upcoming training contents will be implemented: Charter of Vietnam Trade Union, Law on Trade Unions 2024, Law on Social Insurance, Law on Health Insurance.

Continue to persistently coordinate with the departments and branches under the Ministry of Health to make recommendations to the Government and the National Assembly to pay attention to improving the salary regime for medical human resources commensurate with the special training mechanism for doctors with a much longer training and practice period than other majors, but the starting salary is not different and commensurate; continue to make recommendations on seniority policies like the education sector.

Participating with departments and agencies under the Ministry of Health to continue researching and recommending amendments and supplements to the allowance regime according to Decision 73/2011/QD-TTg dated December 28, 2011 of the Prime Minister stipulating a number of special allowance regimes for civil servants, public employees, and workers in public health facilities and the allowance regime for disease prevention and control. After many adjustments to increase the basic salary, this on-duty allowance has not been adjusted.

Continue to propose the implementation of preferential allowances according to Decree 05/2023/ND-CP for civil servants and public employees working at public health facilities; propose the preferential allowance according to the profession for civil servants working in health at schools in the draft Decree of 30% compared to the current salary scale and grade plus leadership position allowances and seniority allowances exceeding the framework (if any).

Continue to implement the "Protecting White Blouse" program to care for, encourage, support, and better protect rights, creating a safe environment for the medical team and doctors while performing their duties; deploy additional activities to find partners to provide practical products for cooperation under the "Union member welfare program"...

Thank you!