Unsuccessful lawsuit for salary
After being owed wages for 9 months, dozens of officers, doctors and medical staff who used to work at Quang Nam Medical College General Hospital were forced to quit their jobs and the hospital was also closed. Although he has repeatedly submitted petitions for help, even filed lawsuits in court, the case has not been resolved yet.
According to the collective petition sent to Lao Dong Newspaper, 22 workers have been owed wages from April 2022 to mid-January 2023, with a total amount of more than 830 million VND. On January 15, 2023, the hospital suddenly decided to terminate the work contract with 21 people.
At that time, we not only lost our jobs, but also did not receive any salary for the months we worked, said Mr. Phan Tan Tien - former officer of the Department of Medicine and Pharmacy.
Ms. Nhan (character's name has been changed), a nurse who used to work at the hospital, said: "I try to work even though I don't have a salary, I just hope to be eligible for maternity benefits. However, it was not until the birth date that the hospital discovered that it did not pay health insurance. I had to borrow more than 8 million VND to have children.
"After giving birth, I had no income for many months, while my child needed enough to spend. My family is in debt, just hoping to get paid soon to cover at least our living expenses," Ms. Nhan choked up.
In that situation, many workers filed a lawsuit against Mr. Huynh Tan Tuan - former Principal of Quang Nam Medical Center, concurrently Director of the hospital - at the People's Court of Tam Ky City. However, the litigation process was stalled because the school did not provide a debt confirmation certificate, a mandatory document in the lawsuit file.
Mr. Phan Tan Tien said: "I have come to contact directly and sent documents many times, but each time I have been refused or made promises again and again".
No salary payment date yet
Talking to Lao Dong, Mr. Bui Long An - Principal of Quang Nam Medical Center (the hospital's management agency) - admitted: "The hospital has its own seal and account, and is now closed, so the school cannot confirm the debt or pay even with the money". He also said that the difficulty lies in the fact that the old finance department has quit, causing lost records and prolonged handling. The school wants to solve the problem of unpaid wages to employees, but has not yet found a feasible solution.
While workers are miserable because they do not have money to cover their expenses, the management agency is flooded with financial violations that have lasted for many years. According to the conclusion of the Inspection Committee of the Quang Nam Provincial Party Committee, from 2015 to 2025, Quang Nam Trade Union School will use more than 23 billion VND in excess funding than the number of enrollments; Hospitals will spend more than 12 billion VND in excess of the health insurance ceiling; drug and medical supplies owed to 104 suppliers will be up to more than 9.4 billion VND and employees' wages will be owed more than 800 million VND.
The Investigation Police Agency of Quang Nam Province Police has initiated a criminal case related to financial management at the school. At the end of 2023, Quang Nam province must provide support of 5.8 billion VND for the school to pay unpaid salaries to staff and lecturers. However, up to now, after many meetings and promises, the salary debt of employees at the hospital alone has not been resolved.
At a recent meeting, Mr. Tran Anh Tuan - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Nam province - requested the school to develop a clear debt repayment roadmap, recover debts from individuals, save expenses and specifically calculate revenue sources to repay the budget.
He emphasized that if any individual does not fulfill the debt repayment commitment, the school must report to the Provincial People's Committee for handling.
While all levels struggle to handle the consequences of a series of violations, workers - those who have served patients - still quietly live in silence.
"Up to now, after nearly 3 years of waiting, no single worker has received unpaid wages. The failed lawsuit due to lack of debt confirmation puts us in an even more difficult situation" - Mr. Phan Tan Tien confided.
