The origin of the story, as Lao Dong Newspaper has just reported, began when the new regulations on civil servant positions and work contracts in public non-business units took effect from July 1, 2026.
According to the provisions of Decree No. 232/2026/ND-CP, "training in educational institutions" belongs to the group of supporting civil servant positions in the education sector.
But according to the provisions of another decree - Decree No. 235/2026/ND-CP, some tasks serving the operation of public non-business units can be carried out under the contract regime.
Because there are no specific criteria to distinguish which cases are for cooking work at ethnic minority boarding schools, Quang Tri must wait for instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The request for guidance from the Ministry of Home Affairs is necessary for Quang Tri to have a basis for uniformly applying the new regulations.
Because when Decree No. 111/2022/ND-CP expires, schools cannot continue to sign contracts according to old regulations but must switch to forms suitable to current regulations.
However, the change in the basis and form of the contract has led to major impacts on the income and rights of some catering staff, which need to be soon guided and resolved by competent authorities.
Typically, Ms. Tran Thi Le has worked for 31 years at the kitchen of Vinh Linh Ethnic Minority Boarding School.
Previously, she was signed a contract under Decree 111/2022/ND-CP, with a salary of more than 8.6 million VND per month. From January 2026, she had to switch to a service contract. After paying compulsory social insurance, the actual amount received was only more than 3.2 million VND.
A worker who has spent more than three decades in the school kitchen but whose income is not enough to cover living expenses is a reality that needs to be considered thoroughly.
Nursing staff at boarding schools do not do seasonal work or only work when the school has a need. They cook daily, directly ensuring nutrition, hygiene and food safety for students to eat and stay concentrated.
For boarding schools, the kitchen is an indispensable part in ensuring the learning and living conditions of students. Just a mistake in choosing food, processing or preserving food can affect the health of dozens, even hundreds of students.
Therefore, catering work must be properly assessed in terms of regularity, responsibility and professional requirements, instead of being considered just a normal service.
Of course, Quang Tri cannot arbitrarily apply the regulations just because it wants to ensure the rights of workers. But it is also impossible to let workers reduce income and not feel secure at work because the regulations have different understandings.
While waiting for official guidance, Quang Tri province needs to review each case and study appropriate plans to maintain jobs, income and insurance benefits for 46 catering staff.
Competent agencies, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, need to soon have unified guidance, with clear criteria on the nature of work, regularity and responsibility of the nursing position at boarding schools.
It is not advisable to let the same job but each locality apply a different form, leading to a large gap in income and benefits.
