The Central Steering Committee for the Month of Action on occupational safety and health met and agreed on the Plan to organize the launching ceremony of the Month of Action on occupational Safety and Health and Workers' Month in 2025 on April 9.
At the meeting, Deputy Director of the Department of Employment (Ministry of Home Affairs) Chu Thi Hanh said that in 2024, the number of work accidents, the number of people with occupational diseases, and the number of serious incidents will have worrying increases compared to 2023.
In 2024, there were 8,286 work accidents nationwide (an increase of 892 cases, equivalent to 12.1%) causing 8,472 victims (an increase of 919 victims), including 675 fatal accidents, causing 727 deaths (an increase of 28 people). The total cost of labor accidents and property damage statistics are not complete, over VND 42,565 billion (VND 492 billion in property damage) and 154,759 working days, in areas with labor relations alone. The industries with many accidents are mining, construction, construction materials production, mechanics, and metal smelting.
"The reason for the above situation is that many employers are not interested in and pay attention to implementing legal regulations on risk management and control; many workers have not been trained in occupational safety and health, lack adequate knowledge, safe working skills and industrial style is still very limited and subjective. Grassroots authorities in some places have not really paid attention and devoted resources to occupational safety and health" - Deputy Director of the Department of Employment shared.
According to Ms. Chu Thi Hanh, the Action Month is held from January 1 to May 31. It is expected that the Launching Ceremony of Workers' Month and the Central-level Labor Safety and Hygiene Action Month 2025 will be held on the morning of April 25 in Hanoi.
During the Action Month, a number of delegations will be organized to visit, inspect, and supervise the implementation and response work in some localities and sectors with a large number of workers or high risks of occupational accidents and diseases.
According to Ms. Ho Thi Kim Ngan - Deputy Head of the Department of Policy, Law and Labor Relations (Vietnam General Confederation of Labor), implementing Directive 31-CT/TW dated March 19, 2024 of the Secretariat on continuing to strengthen the Party's leadership in occupational safety and health in the new situation, authorities at all levels need to pay real attention to promoting occupational safety and health in the locality.
Grassroots authorities need to focus on allocating human and financial resources to implement occupational safety and health work in the context of restructuring the organization and apparatus of the political system. In particular, it is necessary to continue to pay attention to areas without labor relations, propagate to production households, farms, fishermen, and industries with many risks and high risks such as mining, construction and production of construction materials, mechanics, and electricity.
Ms. Ho Thi Kim Ngan also emphasized the need to promote self-management of occupational safety and health risks at enterprises, especially during Workers' Month and Occupational Safety and Health Action Month in 2025. Along with that, it is necessary to focus on occupational safety and health at the workplace and in the supply chain, contributing to promoting the export of goods.
