Resolve workers' rights soon

(QNO) - At the 20th session held on the morning of January 23, the Provincial People's Council discussed and agreed to assign the Provincial People's Committee to resolve the issue of salary arrears of employees of Quang Nam Medical College before January 31, 2024 and report to the Provincial People's Council at the nearest session.

Delegate Nguyen Duc - Head of the Economic - Budget Committee of the Provincial People's Council discussed the contents presented at the 20th Session. Photo: N.D

Difficulty in enrollment, slow to reorganize operating model

In Report No. 27 dated January 13, 2024, the Party Committee of the Provincial People's Committee agreed on the policy of debt relief for the training budget that did not meet the target of Quang Nam Medical College from 2020 and earlier, an amount of nearly 15.6 billion VND from 2023 to 2025. At the same time, the school's budget deduction from 2023 to 2025 (1.944 billion VND per year) was postponed to have funds to pay salaries for officials, lecturers, workers, etc.

In response to concerns from many delegates of the Provincial People's Council, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Hong Quang said that since 2018, the enrollment of Quang Nam Medical College has encountered difficulties. At this time, the school should have built and reorganized its operating model, but it has remained the same, leading to the current situation.

According to Mr. Quang, when the number of students recruited is not large, the school must report to the Provincial People's Committee to submit to the Provincial People's Council to adjust the budget allocation. Currently, the Provincial State Treasury is controlling the expenditure and disbursement of the school's budget according to the output results (number of students recruited). Therefore, the disbursement of this allocated budget is facing difficulties because it exceeds the 2023 budget estimate.

The Provincial People's Committee proposed that the Provincial People's Council agree to postpone the collection of 1.944 billion VND and gradually collect it in the following years. At the same time, it will compensate for operating expenses in 2022 due to the enrollment target reaching less than 80% as stipulated in Resolution No. 36 of the Provincial People's Council (estimated at about 1.4 billion VND) to pay salaries for the school's employees.

Along with that, support funding for COVID-19 treatment for Quang Nam Medical College General Hospital for 4 months that the Provincial People's Committee requisitions to serve COVID-19 isolation and treatment (from February to May 2022).

"The current situation of the school has been directed by the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee to the Provincial People's Committee to review the responsibilities. The most important issue now is to resolve the consequences, so that the 105 workers of Quang Nam Medical College can receive their salaries before Tet. The Provincial People's Committee will report on the review and future activities of the school and propose solutions."

(Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Le Van Dung)

As an advisory body, delegate Phan Thi Thanh Thao - Deputy Director of the Department of Finance further explained related issues; including the use of funding sources to resolve the debt problem for employees of Quang Nam Medical College.

According to Ms. Thao, the Department of Finance proposed to advise the Provincial People's Committee to supplement the 2023 budget estimate for the school and will use the current support part, which is expected to use the support for the hospital from the unallocated health career source of the provincial budget in 2023 and support for 80% of the school's unmet targets from the unallocated training career source of the provincial budget in 2023. It is expected to use those two sources for implementation.

Responsibility must be clarified.

The opinions of the Provincial People's Council delegates are in high agreement with the view that the rights of employees of Quang Nam Medical College must be resolved in accordance with the policy of the Provincial Party Standing Committee before the 2024 Lunar New Year, and must be completed by January 31, 2024 at the latest. The fault here lies with the state management agency, not the employees.

Delegate Tran Thi Bich Thu - Head of the Culture - Social Committee of the Provincial People's Council discussed the issue of salary arrears at Quang Nam Medical College. Photo: N.D

Delegate Vu Van Tham - Secretary of Phu Ninh District Party Committee said that he strongly supports the view that workers must be paid. However, state management agencies must clarify why there has been a "long decline" in enrollment since 2018 but no timely changes have been made? What is the responsibility of state management here?

“It is necessary to make a general and specific assessment of the organizational structure, how many people are recruited in a year, how many are trained, if the training target is not met each year, what is the financial plan that is not reported to the provincial leaders. Not clarifying responsibilities means admitting a very long period of poor management and now the Provincial People's Council must deal with the consequences. I think that in terms of management, this is not good,” Mr. Tham stated his opinion.

Ms. Tran Thi Bich Thu - Head of the Culture and Social Committee of the Provincial People's Council said that it would be impossible to resolve all the difficulties that Quang Nam Medical College had violated in the past at this session. For nearly a year, this school has not been paid salaries and has not been able to pay health insurance and social insurance according to the law.

Speaking at the discussion session, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Tran Xuan Vinh said that the unpaid wages at Quang Nam Medical College were the responsibility of the competent state management agency, not the responsibility of the employees. Regarding the issue of Quang Nam Medical College, the Provincial Party Committee's Inspection Committee has inspected and disciplined a number of comrades with warnings and reprimands.

“If necessary, in the coming time, the competent authority will also consider transferring the entire file to the competent authority to clarify and handle it thoroughly, not to prolong it. Where the money went, and who did wrong, must clarify their responsibilities,” said Mr. Vinh.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/chinh-tri/som-giai-quyet-quyen-loi-cho-nguoi-lao-dong-155108.html