Having worked at sea and then gone ashore to learn the trade, Mr. Pham Tien (residing in Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa) has been working as a taxi driver at Mai Linh Nha Trang Company Limited (Mai Linh Company) for 10 years now.
However, 2 months ago, he was forced to apply for leave and accept unemployment to work as a "handyman" because the company had not paid his salary for a long time from July 2024 until now.
“I have worked for 10 years, but from July to November 2024, the company owes me 33 million VND in salary. Not only is my salary owed, but every month the company deducts 1.4 million VND with the reason of paying social insurance (SI), but when checking with the SI agency, I have only paid for 5 years and 10 months and the company owes me 67 million VND in SI.
The situation is very difficult because I am raising 2 children in college, the youngest child has been owed salary since I started working, his income has decreased, the family economy has gone down, he also had to drop out of school so that his older siblings can finish school. The company owes me salary, does not return documents when I quit, does not close the social insurance book for the past 2 months, while the time to submit an application for unemployment benefits is gradually running out. Now my only earnest wish is that the company pay the social insurance debt so that I can close the book, have a subsidy to take care of my family during the upcoming Tet holiday" - Mr. Tien said.
In the same situation, Mr. Le Dinh Quynh said: “I have been a driver for Mai Linh Company for nearly 20 years and have participated in social insurance for 30 years. From August 2024 until now, the company has owed me more than 21 million VND in salary. Not only has the company owed me salary, but it has also delayed paying social insurance for many months, even though my social insurance money is deducted every month. I am currently facing many difficulties, I have all kinds of illnesses but I have no money and have to borrow money to buy medicine to treat my illness. Tet is coming, I am worried about what to do to take care of my family.”
Too frustrated because of prolonged unpaid wages, recently 29 employees who have been working at Mai Linh Company sent a petition for help to the Khanh Hoa Transport Industry Union.
After two working sessions, in early January 2025, Khanh Hoa Provincial Federation of Labor, Department of Transport, Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Provincial Social Insurance, Provincial Police organized a dialogue between the collective of employees and the leaders of Mai Linh Nha Trang Company Limited to resolve the reflections and complaints of employees about prolonged unpaid wages and social insurance.
According to statistics, by September 2024, the Company owes from 1 to 11 months of salary to more than 130 employees with an amount of 2 billion VND, and owes social insurance to employees from 2020 to present 6 billion VND. Of which, the debt of the old legal entity is more than 5.5 billion VND, the debt of the new legal entity is nearly 500 million VND.
At the dialogue, Ms. Tran Thi Huong - Vice President of Khanh Hoa Provincial Labor Federation and leaders of related units requested that company leaders take specific measures to ensure the rights of employees.
After the meeting, the parties agreed to report on the roadmap for settling social insurance debts under the old legal entity before January 15 to the authorities in Khanh Hoa and finalize social insurance payments under the new legal entity before January 24.
The company commits to pay at least 50% of salary before January 24 and pay the remaining 50% before March 30 to all employees.
