VietNamNet Bridge – According to statistics by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, about 263,000 workers were affected by the mass fish deaths caused by Ha Tinh-based Taiwanese steel company Formosa, including 100,000 workers seriously and directly affected.

Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep said that after the incident, the Ministry of Labour’s officials have been working with affected provinces to learn about the difficult situation of the fishermen and to listen to their aspirations.

Diep said the Ministry and the four provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Tri agreed to establish a project on vocational training, job creation and labor exports to assist the affected people.

“Maybe in the next few years, they (affected people) will have to work in other areas to make a living. Then they will return to the home waters to work and live," Diep told Zing news.

He said the Labor Ministry has proposed four programs to assist the affected people, including one to send 3,500 people to South Korea to work and others to send workers to Japan and Germany. These people will be trained free before going overseas.

At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development suggested affected fishermen switching from near-shore fishing to off-shore fishing.

The Agriculture Ministry is working to submit a proposal to the government to provide soft loans and use the national fund for employment support for the fishermen. It is seeking to help the affected go fishing in other waters until Vietnam’s marine environment is safe,.

For those who want to do other jobs, the Labor Ministry will coordinate with localities to offer training that meets demands of both labourers and the market.

Payment of health and social insurance will also be adjusted following the incident, with the support of State funding.

It is the Labor Ministry’s responsibility to promptly devise support policies in case of any arising incidents.

Thu Ly