The Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance agency presented this perspective in its feedback on the draft Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Social Insurance Law, submitted to the city's National Assembly Delegation.

The agency proposed expanding mandatory social insurance coverage to include workers generating income from transportation, delivery, sales, brokerage, and service provision through digital platforms. This group encompasses ride-hailing drivers, shippers, and online sellers.

This proposal comes after the Ministry of Interior responded to feedback from various localities. The ministry contended that ride-hailing drivers, shippers, and online sellers can already participate in voluntary social insurance, which offers flexible contribution methods and state support, making mandatory inclusion currently unnecessary.

According to the Ministry of Interior, transitioning this group to mandatory social insurance would mean they would no longer receive state support provided for voluntary social insurance, nor would they benefit from the current flexible contribution methods.

Ride-hailing drivers on Ho Chi Minh City streets. *Photo: Thanh Tung*

However, Nguyen Quoc Thanh, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance, argued that the current level of support is insufficient to attract drivers and other platform-based workers.

Under current regulations, voluntary social insurance participants contribute 22% of their chosen income. The state provides support ranging from 30%, 25%, or 20% of the contribution amount, calculated based on the rural poverty line, depending on the specific demographic. For the common 20% support level, the state's monthly contribution is approximately 66,000 VND.

Furthermore, voluntary social insurance primarily covers two long-term benefits: retirement and survivor's benefits. Female workers also receive an additional 2 million VND for childbirth. In contrast, ride-hailing drivers and shippers frequently work on the road, facing risks of accidents and illness. They require short-term benefits such as work accident insurance, occupational disease insurance, and sick leave – entitlements exclusively provided under mandatory social insurance.

According to Mr. Thanh, surveys indicate that approximately 600,000 ride-hailing drivers operate for various platforms nationwide, with a significant number located in Ho Chi Minh City. However, a review revealed that only about 700 ride-hailing drivers participate in voluntary social insurance.

"International experience demonstrates that social insurance policies should be mandatory to ensure sustainable social security rights for workers," Mr. Thanh stated.

Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance contends that while digital platforms categorize ride-hailing drivers as "partners," these drivers are, in practice, managed through algorithms, trip distribution mechanisms, performance evaluations, and receive regular income. This represents a new segment of the digital economy workforce that is not adequately covered by the existing social security system, even as their numbers are projected to continue increasing.

For ride-hailing drivers, the agency proposes that mandatory social insurance contributions be determined by the contract between the driver and the platform. These contributions should be at least equivalent to the minimum wage and no more than 20 times the reference wage. Payments could be made monthly through the application operating company or deducted directly from the driver's income account.

Mr. Thanh noted that some companies already contribute to mandatory social insurance for their four-wheel vehicle drivers, basing contributions on the regional minimum wage. In these cases, the company pays 21,5%, and the driver contributes 10,5%.

To bolster its proposal, Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance referenced the Platform Work Convention, adopted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) at the 114th International Labor Conference in June 2026. According to the agency, this convention mandates the extension of basic labor standards to individuals working through digital platforms. It further stipulates that if a platform controls fares, distributes work, and evaluates performance, workers must be guaranteed fundamental rights concerning social insurance, health insurance, and work accident insurance.

The agency also asserted that its proposal aligns with the 2019 Labor Code. The code states that any agreement, regardless of its designation, that involves remuneration, management, operation, and supervision can still be classified as an employment relationship.

The 2024 Social Insurance Law also grants the National Assembly Standing Committee the authority to decide on expanding mandatory social insurance participation to groups with stable employment and income, based on government proposals.

Mr. Thanh emphasized that including ride-hailing drivers in mandatory social insurance aligns with the objective of broadening social insurance coverage, moving towards universal social insurance, and safeguarding workers' rights in the event of risks.

Le Tuyet