In recent years, the socio-economic development has increasingly developed, especially in big cities, which are considered as “promised lands” for poor rural people who want to escape and “changing their lives”, looking forward to a new better life.

According to the population census results of the General Statistics Office in April, 2019: The Red River Delta is the country’s largest population concentration with 22.5 million people, accounting for 23.4%. In which, Hanoi is the most populous city (8,053,663 people) and has the second highest proportion of migrants in the whole country, accounting for 61.2% (209.3 thousand people).

 Overall, about 75% of the workforce (including migrants) are currently employed in the informal sector with more than 18 million jobs. They are mainly self-employed, unpaid care workers, workers in industrial parks or informal enterprises, or as factory workers with short-term labor contracts (Oxfam Report 2015). Most often, they have little or no legal protection and no bargaining power to ask for a raise. Therefore, in accessing, participating in, or benefiting from the policies of the Social Security Program (Social Insurance, Health Insurance, Unemployment Insurance, Social Allowance), they are unknown or skip. Only 23% of migrant workers in the informal sector have health insurance and none of them benefit from social insurance.

Facing the current trend of socio-economic transformation, one of the popular and easy-to-earn freelance careers, being chosen by many migrants in HCM, especially after Covid-19 epidemic (the number of unemployment people increased rapidly), is grab drivers of Grab Limited Company.

National target for the period 2012 – 2020: states that “Social security programs are established to ensure that all people have at least a minimum level of income and the opportunity to access basic social services. essential for education, health, housing, clean water, etc. as well as forming a social security system that covers the entire population, contributing to gradually increasing incomes, ensuring a safe, equal and happy life of the people”.  But in fact, many informal workers (self-employed) still have limitations and barriers in accessing and participating in these Social Security Programs and one of those typical subjects. is the workforce of technology drivers in general, and Grab drivers in particular.

Therefore, the initiative “Surveying the current condition and Promoting participation of Grab drivers to improve their access to social security schemes and working conditions” was designed to achieve the target Promoting Grab drivers’ access to social security schemes, identifying the employment relationship, protecting the rights, expanding the coverage of health insurance, social insurance, supporting legality and improving working conditions to the targeted objects: Technology drivers of Grab company in Hanoi, through: i) Increase the participation of Vietnamese General Labor Union (VGCL) in improving the policy and protecting the rights of technology drivers/ migrant workers. At the same time, ii) enhance mobilization of networking acting for migrant workers (M.net), labor research network (LRG) and other non-profit organizations, such as ILO, IOM in commenting on policy modification to targeted groups.

Estimated around 100.000 Grab drivers (of which about 50% are migrant workers from other provinces) in Hanoi will be participated and benefited from this proposal.

After that, Consultancy Center for Health and Community Development (CHD) together with Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (Labor Relations Department) and Grab Company conducted the first series of activities: 1) Survey the status of Grab technology drivers on working conditions and employment in terms of understanding, accessibility and participation in social security service programs; Need/desire to improve working conditions; 2) Conduct in-depth interviews with representatives of a number of ministries, departments, sectors, mass organizations, international organizations, Mnet network, and some labor experts, lawyers – comments on Labor Relations job; Limitations, barriers and policy “gaps” between Grab drivers and Social Security policies and programs.

Although the quarantine is being implemented in accordance with Directive 16 of the Government, in 03 weeks from 12^th to 31^st August 2021. Interviewers from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor and the CHD Center actively and successfully interviewed 100 Grab technology drivers currently working in Hanoi, as well as having discussions with leading representatives of the Policy and Law Department of the General Confederation, the Institute of Workers and Trade Unions, the Legal Department of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Institute for Community Health Development Light – LIGHT, ILO, Oxfam…

The results of this survey, CHD and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor will present in the Talkshow scheduled at the end of September 2021.