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The government has suggested prohibiting Vietnamese workers from engaging in massage jobs overseas in any capacity, claiming that the broader restriction would minimize their risk of encountering trafficking, abuse, and forced labor.

Introducing amendments to the 2020 Law on Vietnamese Migrant Workers Employed Overseas under contract to the National Assembly on August 5, Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Tien Hai stated that the existing provision restricts massage placements solely to restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues.

The proposal would ban the activity in all environments.

Firms would also be required to display full and truthful details on their online platforms, including hiring statistics, evaluation standards, employment conditions, and employees’ rights and responsibilities.

They were required to notify the authorities and Vietnamese embassies overseas immediately about any incident that impacted a worker’s life, health, or rights, as well as any emergency.

If employees encounter mistreatment, violence, or bias, the company that deployed them would be accountable for assisting them in accessing legal support.

The proposal would allow businesses to create a group of qualified applicants prior to signing supply agreements. They may operate independently or in collaboration with technical schools and job placement agencies to provide instruction in skills and language.

Businesses were unable to charge for the training until the foreign employer had chosen the worker. The Ministry of Home Affairs, which prepared the bill, stated that the amendment aims to address a situation where workers pay for training upfront without any assurance of employment or a departure date.

Companies with licenses would need to hire and evaluate employees on their own or in collaboration with the employer receiving the workers, instead of sending the work through a third party or assigning it to another organization or person.

The proposal also prohibits false commitments, incorrect details, fraudulent marketing and advice, along with other methods employed to deceive employees.

It prohibits using foreign placements as a guise for arranging unauthorized departures, human trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor.

An additional clause would expand the current ban on sending employees to conflict zones, areas affected by radiation or toxins, and regions experiencing particularly hazardous outbreaks, including any location the Vietnamese government has warned against or restricted travel to.

Examining the bill, the National Assembly’s Committee on Culture and Society approved the labor pool clauses, noting that a written contract between the company and employee would provide both parties with a legal foundation to safeguard their interests, including in cases where an employee exits the program of their own accord.

The committee also requested that the government be allowed to define state management duties and coordination between agencies, which it claimed would maintain flexibility in implementation.

The National Assembly is anticipated to approve the bill before the conclusion of the current special session, which marks the first one of the 16th legislature, on August 24.