Thousands of Hanoi teachers at risk of losing bonuses

While teachers across the country are happy about the bonus regime under Decree 73, in Hanoi, thousands of teachers do not receive this bonus.

This problem arises from the fact that on December 10, 2024, the Hanoi People's Council passed Resolution 46/2024/NQ-HDND regulating the payment of additional income for cadres, civil servants, and public employees working in state agencies, political organizations, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, socio-political organizations, and public service units whose regular expenditures are guaranteed by the state budget under the management of Hanoi City.

Thousands of teachers in Hanoi are at risk of not receiving bonuses under Government Decree 73 (illustrative photo)

With this resolution, many teachers in Hanoi, managed by the city, will not be eligible for the benefit. The reason is that educational institutions that are piloting the ordering of educational services from the 2023-2024 school year are classified as self-sufficient regular expenditure units.

Nearly 600 teachers have written a "letter of intent" requesting the city's leaders to consider this. Hanoi currently has 119 high schools under the management of the Department of Education and Training that are classified as "autonomous in regular spending". In addition, 30 districts each have about 3-9 schools from kindergarten to junior high school selected to pilot the ordering of educational services. It is estimated that at least 200 schools are affected.

Normally, autonomous units have revenue to ensure operations, without using the state budget, depending on the level. However, schools classified as "autonomous in regular expenditure" in Hanoi are actually still guaranteed funding by the state. Accordingly, schools are "assigned the task" of collecting tuition fees, then the superiors deduct this amount when allocating the budget. Schools are not allowed to use revenue from tuition fees to pay teachers' salaries or operate activities like autonomous units in regular expenditure in other areas.

Previously, when the above resolution was still a draft, at the end of September 2024, the People's Committee of Phuc Tho District, Hanoi sent a document requesting the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Finance to review the draft resolution to ensure the rights of teachers. This unit has 9 public service units in the education sector that are piloting ordering. The document stated: "In essence, the pilot ordering units are autonomous units for regular expenditures, not due to increased revenue but due to a change in the form of allocation from budget allocation to ordering."

Also according to the proposal of the People's Committee of Phuc Tho District, not applying additional income expenditure to pilot units placing orders will not encourage units to continue implementing, causing inadequacies in management work.

Department of Education and Training recommends ensuring teachers' rights

Speaking to Thanh Nien reporter, Mr. Nguyen Van Duong, a teacher at Phu Xuyen A High School (Phu Xuyen District, Hanoi), said that the fact that most teachers may not enjoy the city's incentives will create comparisons among cadres, civil servants, and public employees in the same area. There is also discrimination among teachers, teachers working in primary schools, because according to the Education Law, tuition is exempt, will enjoy an income increase while preschool, middle school, and high school teachers are not eligible.

On the evening of January 6, Mr. Tran The Cuong, Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, said that the department had received the information and sympathized with the teachers' concerns and the difficulties of the schools because if 10% of the reward was included in the autonomy of the schools, many schools would certainly not have enough funds to implement it.

"I have signed a report and proposed to the city leaders to consider ensuring the rights of teachers," Mr. Cuong informed.

According to Decree 73/2024/ND-CP effective from July 1, 2024, the bonus regime is implemented based on outstanding work achievements and the results of assessment and classification of the annual task completion level of each salaried person in the agency or unit.

The annual bonus fund is outside the reward fund as prescribed by the Law on Emulation and Reward, determined by 10% of the total salary fund (excluding allowances) according to the position, title, rank, level and military rank of the subjects in the salary list of the agency or unit.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hang-nghin-giao-vien-ha-noi-nguy-co-mat-thuong-185250106221201824.htm