CIRCULAR

GUIDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REGIME OF MID-SHIFT MEAL FOR WORKERS AND PUBLIC SERVANTS AT STATE ENTERPRISES

In execution of Decree No. 27/1999/ND-CP of April 20, 1999 of the Government amending and supplementing the Financial and Business Accounting Regulation at State Enterprises issued together with Decree No. 59/CP of October 3, 1996 of the Government, after consultations with the Ministry of Finance in Official Dispatch No. 2462/TC/TCDN of May 21, 1999, the Vietnam General Federation of Labor in Official Dispatch No. 617/TLD of May 21, 1999 and related ministries and branches, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs provides the following guidance for effecting the regime of mid-shift meal for laboring people at State enterprises:

I. OBJECTS OF APPLICATION

The objects of application of the regime of mid-shift meal are workers and public servants who are working under labor contracts stipulated in Article 27 of the Labor Code at State Enterprises, comprising:

- State enterprises engaged in production and business activities and public utility services under the Law on State enterprises;

- Organizations and units belonging to administrative, non-business, Party, mass organizations and mass associations that are allowed to operate and engage in production, business and service activities and that are self-reliant financially;

- Stock companies with more than 50% of their total fund coming from the State or contributed by State enterprises under the Corporate Law and Decree No. 28/CP of May 7, 1996 of the Government.

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II. SIZE OF MID-SHIFT MEAL

Basing himself on the organization of production and business, on the labor productivity and the result achieved in production and business, the Director of the enterprise after consulting the Executive Committee of the Trade Union of the same level shall decide the size of the mid-shift meal, but the average cost per month of this meal for a person working under the regulatory labor regime must not exceed the general minimum monthly wage of 144,000 VND/month prescribed in 1999.

III. PRINCIPLE FOR ENJOYING MID-SHIFT MEAL

1. The meal is accorded on the basis of real working days, including extra working days (full eight-hours day);

2. No provision of meal and no payment in cash on non-working days, including sick-leave, pregnancy and childbirth leave…

3. No provision of mid-shift meal if the working time falls short of the regulatory time (less than 50% of the regulatory time).

4. Apart from these conditions, the enterprise may set other conditions if it deems advantageous to associate the efficiency and responsibility of each individual with the result of production and business of the enterprise.

5. Those production and business enterprises, which are meeting with difficulties and cannot yet account the mid-shift meal into the production cost or circulation cost, shall have to seek measures of cost reduction in order to have the necessary fund to organize the mid-shift meal. In case the enterprise cannot find the necessary fund after taking other cost reduction measures, the Director of the enterprise shall discuss with the Executive Committee of the Trade Union and agree with the latter on temporarily not effecting the mid-shift meal as stipulated in this Circular.

IV. ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

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2. The expenditures on the mid-shift meal shall be accounted for in the production cost or the circulation cost.

3. The ministries, branches, localities and Corporations 91/TTg shall base themselves on the stipulations of this Circular to direct, inspect and supervise the organization of the mid-shift meal at the enterprises under their management and ensure its positive effect in promoting labor productivity, raising the effectiveness of production, reducing production cost and ensuring health for the laborers.

4. This Circular takes effect on the date of its signing.

For those enterprises which have from January 1st, 1999 to the day when this Circular takes effect organized the mid-shift meal according to Decree No. 30/1998/ND-CP of May 13, 1998 of the Government and the guiding Circular No. 99/1998/TT-BTC of July 14, 1998 of the Ministry of Finance, they are also allowed to account the meal into the production cost or circulation cost as provided for in this Circular from the date when the enterprise begins to organize the mid-shift meal.

In the process of implementation if any difficulties arise, the ministries, branches and localities are requested to report to the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs for study and settlement.

THE MINISTRY OF LABOR, WAR INVALIDS AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS




Nguyen Thi Hang