Proposing artistic work is hard and dangerous work

In a report sent to National Assembly delegates before the 7th session's question-and-answer session, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said that artists and actors are typically trained for 7-12 years, and some subjects for 15-16 years. Vocational training begins at 10 years old and must be talented. Meanwhile, the average performing career lasts 15-20 years.

Therefore, female artists aged 35-40 and male artists aged 40-45 are almost all impaired in their performance and professional activities. This leads to the situation where people working in the arts "are past their working age but not old enough to retire", making it difficult to change job positions.

Most of these people do not meet the standards for civil servant and public employee exams and selection, so they cannot take on managerial and administrative positions. These artists hope to have their retirement regime resolved early. However, current regulations only allow them to retire no more than 5 years earlier than the regulations (60 years old for men and 55 years old for women).

Therefore, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism proposes to include civil servants in the performing arts sector in the "List of arduous, toxic, dangerous jobs and occupations and especially arduous, toxic, dangerous jobs". This will help them to be considered for early retirement as desired after participating in Social Insurance for 20 years. The pension level will be based on the insurance contribution rate.

The Ministry also proposed to amend and supplement regulations on preferential occupational allowances; training and performance for civil servants and workers in the arts sector in accordance with reality.

According to the current salary regime, most civil servants with the professional title of actor level 4 have a salary coefficient of 1.86-4.06 equivalent to 3.35-7.3 million VND. Actor level 3 is 2.34-4.98 equivalent to 4.2-8.96 million VND. Through a survey, civil servants in the arts sector with 10 years of working experience (average age 35) actually receive only 5 million VND, slightly higher than the regional minimum wage (4.68 million).

Workers who have just been appointed to the civil service, acting category (average age 25) have it even harder. They receive the intermediate salary coefficient of type B level 1 civil servants, which is 1.86. After deducting 10.5% social insurance, the income from salary that civil servants receive is only about 3 million VND, not enough to meet the needs of living, eating, staying and traveling.

The Ministry said the current training allowance for actors is 35,000-80,000 VND/training session; the performance allowance is 80,000-200,000 VND/session. This allowance has been in place for nearly 10 years, and after 6 increases in the basic salary, the allowance remains the same, unable to keep up with the needs of life. "The current allowance does not encourage or motivate civil servants and professional workers in the performing arts sector," the report stated.

According to Circular 11/2020 of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, arduous, toxic and dangerous jobs are jobs that have factors that are harmful, damaging to health, spirit or have high risks. This Circular stipulates 1,838 occupations and jobs with arduous, toxic and dangerous factors and is divided into 31 different fields.

Some of the fields listed include mineral exploitation; mechanics, metallurgy; chemicals; transportation; electricity; post and telecommunications; cement production; ceramics, glass, plastic, groceries, paper, wood; leather, footwear, textiles. In addition, radio, television; healthcare and pharmaceuticals; geology; environmental sanitation; hydrometeorology; sports, culture and information; tourism; banking; fisheries; oil and gas; education and training; customs are also included in this list.

The content of the question and answer session at the 7th session will be carried out over 2.5 days from June 4 to the morning of June 6. From 3:00 p.m. on June 5, the National Assembly will question the fourth group of issues in the fields of culture, sports and tourism. Minister Nguyen Van Hung will answer questions about the selection, training and policies for athletes and artists in the arts; and job creation for athletes and artists after the peak competition and performance period.

The Minister will also answer questions about the implementation of tasks and solutions to stimulate and restore tourism in 2024 and the following years; develop night tourism products and specific policies, attract investment in cultural, sports and tourism activities in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.