The law has empowered social insurance agencies to fulfill their responsibilities towards employees

Workers are "tors" to demand social insurance books

That is the case of many workers who have worked at Ha Nam Textile Factory under 19.5 Hanoi Textile Joint Stock Company and Lilama 3 Joint Stock Company (Hanoi City).

On October 12, Mr. Bui Kim Khuyen (Phung Nguyen commune, Phu Tho province) said that in January 2016, he unfortunately had a serious work accident at Formosa Factory (Vung Ang, Ha Tinh) leading to damage to his right eye. Mr. Khuyen terminated his labor contract with Lilama 3 Joint Stock Company from April 2, 2022.

I worked at Lilama 3 Joint Stock Company from September 2001 to April 2, 2022. The characteristic of workers in the assembly industry is to be in good health. I had a work accident and my health was not good, so my labor contract had to be terminated. However, when I retire, my social insurance book cannot be closed because the company has not paid me social insurance. Since then, I have traveled from Phu Tho to Hanoi many times to request the company's leaders to finalize and return the social insurance book, but the company has not done so. Many "life" directors replied: "The company does not have money to close, I sympathize" - Mr. Khuyen was upset.

According to the investigation of Lao Dong Newspaper reporters, Lilama 3 Joint Stock Company is participating in social insurance, health insurance, unemployment insurance, and occupational accident and disease insurance at Tay Tuu Social Insurance (formerly Bac Tu Liem District Social Insurance). As of the end of September 2025, the company was late in paying social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance for more than 48.684 billion VND - ranking 2nd among the total number of enterprises in Hanoi that were late in paying social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance the most, just after APAX English Joint Stock Company of Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thuy (Shark Thuy) - the unit that was late in paying 63.150 billion VND.

After many times coming to the company but could not claim his rights, Mr. Khuyen continued to send a petition to the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor and the Ministry of Home Affairs for help.

Receiving the petition, on September 24, 2025, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor sent a document to the Vietnam Construction Trade Union with the content of requesting the industry trade union to proactively work with the board of directors of Lilama 3 Joint Stock Company to discuss and find solutions to handle, requesting the enterprise to fulfill its obligation to pay and close social insurance books, ensuring the legitimate rights of employees. In case the enterprise does not cooperate, deliberately does not comply, avoiding the violation, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor requests the Vietnam Construction Trade Union to coordinate with the competent authorities, prepare a file to transfer to the investigation agency for consideration and handling according to the provisions of law.

In a similar situation, many workers who previously worked at 19.5 Hanoi Textile Joint Stock Company - Ha Nam Branch (195 Textile Company) are also in extremely difficult circumstances.

Ms. Le Thi Hien - former Chairwoman of the Textile Factory Trade Union of 19.5 Hanoi Textile Joint Stock Company - Ha Nam Branch (Textile Company, May 19) said that the company's debt to social insurance has seriously affected the rights of employees. For a long time, there are workers who have not had their retirement books closed; have not paid social insurance; do not have a health insurance card, leading to not being entitled to health insurance when they are sick, the cost of medical examination and treatment is very expensive; not entitled to unemployment insurance...

Although from 2022 to now, workers have sent petitions for help to authorities... the incident is still "stuck on the spot". Meanwhile, the "unreasonably secure" leadership of Textile Company 19.5 has upset many people.

Ms. Le Thi Hien informed: We have officially submitted a lawsuit to the leaders of 19.5 Textile Company (address 203 Nguyen Huy Tuong, Thanh Xuan District, old Hanoi City; The company's director is Mr. Do Van Minh) to the People's Court of Thanh Xuan District (Hanoi) - now the People's Court of Region 2 - Hanoi. Recently, we received a notice requesting amendments and supplements to the lawsuit from the People's Court of Region 2 - Hanoi. Currently, we, the workers, are gathering documents, hoping to completely resolve this problem".

Social insurance agencies are given more rights, the situation of debt and evasion of insurance payment is still widespread

Faced with the situation of enterprises evading social insurance payments, in 2024, the amended Law on Social Insurance was issued, effective from July 1, 2025 with many new regulations, to strengthen the handling of acts of evasion and late payment of social insurance, protecting the rights of employees. These acts will be handled more severely, including fines, criminal prosecution (in cases of serious violations), compensation for damages and no rewards.

Accordingly, the unit will have to pay an additional amount of 0.03%/day calculated on the amount of social insurance, health insurance late payment, evasion and the number of days late payment, evasion to the social insurance and health insurance funds; be administratively sanctioned according to the provisions of law; Not considered for emulation titles or forms of commendation.

Notably, for evasion of payment alone, employers can also be prosecuted for criminal liability according to the provisions of law. This is a new point, clearly demonstrating the strictness in State management of social insurance and health insurance.

The law also gives Vietnam Social Security more authority to handle cases of evasion of social insurance payment. However, paradoxically, after July 1, 2025, the number of enterprises owing social insurance and health insurance will not only not decrease but also increase.

At the online conference to evaluate the work of collecting and developing social insurance participants in the first 9 months of the year and solutions to perform tasks for the last 3 months of 2025, Vietnam Social Security also admitted that in the first 9 months of the year, the amount of late social insurance payment increased. Since the revised Law on Social Insurance took effect, social insurance debt and evasion have become complicated.