Viet Nam News Nguyễn Hoàng Phương, Deputy Director of the Technology Centre of Việt Nam Social Security (VSS) talks to Việt Nam News on the strides the centre has made in technology adoption to achieve efficiency and better delivery of public services. In 2017 and 2018, Việt Nam Social Security (VSS) topped various Government technology rankings, including the lists for e-portal and human resources capacity and the technology readiness (ICT Index). Could you tell us more about VSS’s achievements in this regard and how they came to be? Information technology (IT) application, administrative reforms and raising the capacity of our staff have been at the forefront of the VSS agenda in recent years as we move into the Industry 4.0 era. Technology has been deeply integrated into our operational document management system, meaning all working documents, directives and professional guidelines have been digitalised and are used across all local … [Read more...] about Tech to bring better insurance services for people
Train services disrupted
Labour disruption in Industry 4.0
Labour disruption in Industry 4.0, Source:shutterstock As Industry 4.0 and cutting-edge technology gain ground, it is an essential task for Vietnamese authorities to revamp the country’s growth model. Meanwhile, businesses need to adapt to a new competitive environment, apply automation, and optimise production as the time for cheap labour is over. Investing into cutting-edge technology production lines Thanks to applying technology into production and processing over the last years, Minh Phu Seafood Corporation has become one of the leading shrimp exporters around the world. While other seafood companies are considering strategies for their key products or have yet to invest into expensive technology, Minh Phu has been concentrating on innovation for the last 10 years, applying advanced technology solutions to improve productivity and product quality. In order to catch up with global trends as well as anticipate the market, Minh Phu has just decided to use an Artificial … [Read more...] about Labour disruption in Industry 4.0
Harnessing automation requires preparation for work disruption
A world in which robots fully take work over from humans may seem scary for developing economies, but on-going automation is bringing substantial benefits to businesses and society. People worldwide are talking about the Fourth Industrial Revolution – or Industry 4.0 – and what economic and societal impacts it will introduce. But what is Industry 4.0? Industry 4.0, a concept first put forth by Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at the Davos economic summit in 2016, is characterised by development in a range of new technologies such as genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology and biotechnology. Like previous industrial revolutions, which introduced advancements in mechanisation and the steam engine, the expansion of electricity, steel and oil, as well as the advents of the internet and green energy, recent developments in robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and internet of things offer great … [Read more...] about Harnessing automation requires preparation for work disruption
French train chaos for vacationers as key station crippled
Thousands of people hoping to hit beaches along France's Atlantic coast faced massive train cancellations and delays Monday as workers struggled to restore electricity to a key Paris station after a fire last week. Hundreds of trains serving favourite summer holiday destinations have been cancelled since Friday after a fire cut power supplies to Paris's Montparnasse station AFP/GERARD JULIEN Thousands of people hoping to hit beaches along France's Atlantic coast faced massive train cancellations and delays on Monday (Jul 30) as workers struggled to restore electricity to a key Paris station after a fire last week. Only half of the roughly 230 scheduled trains in and out of the Gare Montparnasse station, a main departure point for holiday destinations, were expected to run on Monday, a spokesman for the state rail operator SNCF said. Those still running were often packed to the brim, with hundreds standing in corridors for trips taking up to several hours longer than usual. … [Read more...] about French train chaos for vacationers as key station crippled
Wildfire kills at least 50 near Athens, families flee to beaches
The fire which hit Mati, 29 km (18 miles) east of the capital, late Monday afternoon was by far the country's worst since flames devastated the southern Peloponnese peninsula in August 2007, killing dozens. People scrambled to the sea as the blaze closed in close to the shore. Hundreds were rescued by passing boats but others found their way blocked by smoke and flames. More than 150 were injured. "I was briefed by a rescuer that he saw the shocking picture of 26 people tightly huddled in a field some 30 metres from the beach," Nikos Economopoulos, head of Greece's Red Cross, told Skai TV. "They had tried to find an escape route but unfortunately these people and their kids didn't make it in time," he said. A Reuters witness also saw several bodies in the area. Mati is in the eastern Rafina region, a popular spot for Greek holidaymakers, particularly pensioners and children at camps. The 26 deaths came on top of more than 20 casualties reported by government spokesman Dimitris … [Read more...] about Wildfire kills at least 50 near Athens, families flee to beaches
Greek wildfire kills at least 20 near Athens, residents flee homes
The fire in Mati village, some 29 km (18 miles) east of Athens, was by far the country’s worst since blazes devastated the southern Peloponnese peninsula in August 2007, killing dozens, with many victims trapped by flames as they fled. Monday’s fire was one of several that broke out in the country amid a sweltering heat wave. “Mati doesn’t even exist as a settlement anymore,” one woman told Greece’s Skai TV. “I saw corpses, burned-out cars. I feel lucky to be alive.” Mati is in the Rafina region which is popular with local tourists, particularly pensioners and children at holiday camps. Government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said in a televised statement early Tuesday that the death toll exceeded 20 while more than 88 adults and 16 children were injured. One of the youngest victims was thought to be a six-month-old baby who died of smoke inhalation. A Reuters witness earlier saw at least four dead on a narrow road clogged with cars … [Read more...] about Greek wildfire kills at least 20 near Athens, residents flee homes
1 million euros raised for striking French rail workers
A fund set up to compensate striking French rail workers for their wage losses passed the 1-million-euro (US$1.2-million) mark on Friday (May 4), a month after they began disrupting train services over the government's planned overhaul of the railways. Employees of France's state rail operator SNCF protest in Paris against the government's planned railway overhaul. (Photo: AFP/Jacques Demarthon) More than 26,000 donors have contributed to the fund set up on Mar 23 on the Leetchi crowd-funding site for employees of troubled state train operator SNCF. On Apr 3, staff began walking off the job two days out of every five over President Emmanuel Macron's bid to cut the SNCF's 46 billion euros in debt and inject more flexibility into its operations. The strikes, which are scheduled to continue through the end of June, have caused travel misery for millions but Macron has refused to back down in a battle seen as a test of his ability to withstand union pressure. "I believe, as the … [Read more...] about 1 million euros raised for striking French rail workers
French railways warn of major disruption ahead of anti-Macron strike
PARIS - French state railway operator SNCF warned on Sunday of major disruption caused by strikes this week that analysts say will be a major test of how much weight the country’s once fearsome trade unions still carry. Train drivers and other staff are set to walk off the job from Monday night at the start of three months of planned stoppages against reform plans announced by President Emmanuel Macron and his government. From Tuesday, rubbish collectors, some staff in the electricity and energy sector and employees of Air France are also set to strike in the biggest wave of industrial unrest since Macron’s election last May. Flight crews and ground staff for Air France also announced a further two-day strike for April 10 and 11. In an update on Sunday, the SNCF said travel would be "very disrupted" on Tuesday, with one in eight high-speed TGV trains operating, around one in five regional trains and major cancellations on suburban commuter trains. SNCF chief Guillaume … [Read more...] about French railways warn of major disruption ahead of anti-Macron strike
Train cars transported by road from HCMC to Bien Hoa
Train cars transported by road from HCMC to Bien HoaLe Anh By Le Anh - The Saigon Times Daily HCMC - Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) will transport train cars by road from Saigon Railway Station in HCMC to neighboring Dong Nai Province’s Bien Hoa Railway Station that is now the final stop of the north-south rail line. Passenger traffic has surged at Bien Hoa station since Saigon Railway Station was cut off from the cross-country railway following the collapse of Ghenh Bridge. These train cars will enable Bien Hoa station to handle a strong increase in passengers in the coming time, especially during Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labor Day (May 1), VNR said at a meeting in HCMC on Tuesday. The Ministry of Transport convened the meeting to discuss new solutions to passenger and cargo transport services on the north-south line in the aftermath of the bridge being hit by a barge in Dong Nai earlier this month. The sand-transporting barge crashed into the old … [Read more...] about Train cars transported by road from HCMC to Bien Hoa
9 dead as huge storms batter Europe
Nine people including two firefighters were killed Thursday as violent gales battered northern Europe, snapping air and train links. Germany halted all long-distance rail traffic for at least a day, while numerous domestic flights were scrapped as hurricane-force winds lashed the country. The storm claimed six lives in Germany, including two firefighters deployed in emergency operations and two truck drivers whose vehicles were blown over by the gales. Another driver died when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed in to a truck. A 59-year-old camper was killed instantly when a tree fell on him in North Rhine-Westphalia state, German police said, as wind speeds reached a high of 203 kilometres an hour (126 mph) at the Brocken -- the highest peak of northern Germany. The storm, named Friederike, also ripped the roof off a school in the eastern state of Thueringia while children were still in the building. Authorities said no one was hurt there. In the Bavarian alps, the strong gales … [Read more...] about 9 dead as huge storms batter Europe