JOINT CIRCULAR No. 203-TTLB GUIDING THE REMUNERATION REGIME FOR NON-PROFESSIONAL CULTURAL AND INFORMATION ACTIVITIES IN COOPERATIVES AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION GROUPS

CIRCULAR

JOINT MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND AGRICULTURE DECREE NO. 203-TTLB DATED DECEMBER 30, 1985

GUIDELINES ON THE REMUNERATION REGIME FOR NON-PROFESSIONAL CULTURAL INFORMATION ACTIVITIES IN RURAL PRODUCTION COOPERATIVES AND GROUPS.

These activities have contributed to encouraging agricultural production at the grassroots level, following the implementation of the Fifth Party Congress Resolution.

To date, management mechanisms in agricultural cooperatives have been reformed to eliminate centralized bureaucratic practices, granting more autonomy for production and business operations, thereby continuously improving the material and spiritual life of workers. However, cultural information activities at the grassroots level have not developed uniformly, with low quality and limited content due to various reasons, including unsuitable remuneration systems for those engaged in cultural information work.

To address this situation, in accordance with the spirit of the Central Committee's Resolution No. 8 of the Fifth Term and the implementation of Resolution No. 159-HĐBT dated December 19, 1983 of the Council of Ministers on cultural information work during the immediate period, the Joint Ministry of Culture and Agriculture has unified guidelines for implementing the remuneration system for cultural information activities in cooperatives and rural production groups as follows:

Cultural information activities must be included in the economic and social plans of cooperatives and rural production groups to provide a basis for investment costs and remuneration.

I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES.

In the labor division of cooperatives and rural production groups, it is necessary to ensure that cadres and members engaged in cultural information work have conditions to fulfill their obligations and rights as workers in the cooperative while also having favorable conditions to perform their cultural information tasks assigned by the cooperative.

Cultural and information work involves artistic elements and has a special nature different from simple labor, thus requiring appropriate attention and higher remuneration than simple labor within the same cooperative, according to the principle of distribution based on labor.

II. ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS OF REMUNERATION.

The recipients of remuneration for cultural information activities include cadres and members assigned by cooperatives and production groups to undertake information propaganda, cultural, literary, art, cultural house, club, traditional house, library, new lifestyle... activities in cooperatives and production groups to serve production guidance and improve the spiritual life of members.

III. REMUNERATION REGIME.

1. Based on the actual income capacity of each locality, in addition to the portion received under the product quota system for direct laborers, they will also receive additional remuneration for cultural information activities from the cooperative's public welfare fund, corresponding to the time and effectiveness of the assigned tasks. Generally, the daily income for cultural information work should be equal to or higher than the daily income of labor working at the good level of agricultural work (which is one level higher than the basic level) and is divided into three levels as follows:

a) Level 1 applies to cadres and members who regularly participate in cultural and information propaganda teams, taking main roles in programs and performances or undertaking multiple tasks in key stages of cultural information activities, receiving daily remuneration for these tasks higher than the actual daily income of labor working at the good level of agricultural work in the cooperative and production group by 15 to 20%.

b) Level 2 applies to cadres and members who take supporting roles in cultural performance, information propaganda, music, drawing, commentary or undertake part of the key tasks in cultural information activities, receiving daily remuneration for these tasks higher than the actual daily income of labor working at the good level of agricultural work in the cooperative and production group by 5 to 10%.

c) Level 3 applies to cadres and members engaged in library, new lifestyle, traditional house, cultural house, club, information station, and other support tasks for cultural performances and propaganda activities, receiving daily remuneration for these tasks equal to the actual daily income of labor working at the good level of agricultural work in the cooperative and production group.

Annually, cooperatives and production groups need to base their plans for specific types of cultural information activities aimed at serving production guidance and enhancing the spiritual life of the locality, clearly defining goals, material cost requirements, and labor fees for each type of activity, funded by the public welfare fund and allocated to cultural and information organizations to implement these plans. The calculation of working days for cultural information workers should be based on the plan to pay according to the three levels mentioned above. For cadres and members whose activities do not meet the required number of days or sessions, the working hours can be converted into working days through discussions between the cooperative and the cadres/members involved in the activities.

2. Remuneration after performances:

a) After each cultural performance or information propaganda session, a supplementary remuneration system is applied. The level of this remuneration is determined by the Cultural Information Board of the commune and the Cooperative Management Board based on the specific capabilities and conditions of each facility, but it shall not be deducted from the remuneration already stipulated in Article 1 above.

a) After each cultural performance or propaganda information session, they shall be entitled to remuneration. The level of this remuneration, which may be provided on-site or as labor compensation for each individual directly participating, shall be jointly determined by the Village Cultural Information Board and the Cooperative Management Board based on the specific capacity and conditions of each facility, but it shall not be deducted from the remuneration already stipulated in Article 1 above.

b) In cases where other levels, sectors, localities request performances, the cooperative may dispatch cultural information performance teams to serve them. The post-performance subsidy shall be directly borne by the inviting unit. Other expenses shall be settled between the inviting unit and the cooperative that sends the cultural information performance team. This expense shall be included in the public welfare fund to be paid out at the end of the crop season or year as remuneration for members who work in cultural information activities according to the levels specified in Article 1.

c) Cultural information performance teams located in communes bordering China operating under the "B militia" mechanism shall, in addition to the activity fees stipulated in Points 1 and 2, receive additional activity allowances from the provincial, district, or commune budgets or defense funds allocated by the localities.

d) After each period of cultural information activities and other activities of the cultural information team at the grassroots level, individuals or groups with outstanding achievements should be promptly recognized and rewarded through various forms of awards.

- Depending on the achievement, they may be awarded certificates of merit, medals, or orders.

- They may also be rewarded with physical items or cash.

e) For cooperatives or production groups with strong cultural information teams capable of ensuring good performance quality with artistic content approved by local authorities, such teams may operate in a business service form to increase income for the cooperative and have a percentage of the income set aside to pay activity fees; this operational regulation shall be jointly established by the commune Cultural Information Board and the Cooperative Management Board to suit local conditions.

g) In areas where production levels are still low and have not yet organized into cooperatives or production groups without public welfare funds but have cultural information activity movements, a portion of the commune budget may be allocated for this purpose. Additionally, the principle of "state and people working together" can be applied to organize and mobilize people's contributions to support and encourage cultural information activities.

3. Responsibility Allowance System:

The leaders of cultural information teams are responsible for directly managing grassroots cultural and information activities. Besides their labor rights and obligations as cooperative members, they must spend significant time planning and implementing cultural information programs assigned by the cooperative. Therefore, in addition to the allowances specified in Points a, b, and c of Article 1, they shall receive a responsibility allowance at the end of the crop season or year.

- The team leader shall receive an additional 10% (ten percent) of the total actual activity allowance.

- The deputy team leader shall receive an additional 5% (five percent) of the total actual activity allowance.

4. Professional Allowance for Trained Personnel:

Cooperative members or staff holding university or secondary school degrees in cultural information who work in library, mass cultural, music, fine arts, etc., activities for cooperatives or production groups shall receive allowances equivalent to those of agricultural technical staff.

5. Allowances for Training, Workshops, Conferences, and Performances:

Cooperative members or staff engaged in cultural information work who are dispatched for vocational training, workshops, conferences, performances, etc., organized by county, provincial, municipal, or central authorities shall have their travel and living expenses covered by the cooperative or production group, similar to those of cooperative members or staff attending management and technical training or meetings.

IV. IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS.

Based on the general provisions stipulated in this Circular, localities, cooperatives, and agricultural production groups need to apply these provisions closely to the practical requirements of their grassroots organizations, but they must not contravene the fundamental regulations outlined in this Circular.

This Circular takes effect from January 1, 1986, and is uniformly implemented in all communes, cooperatives, and agricultural production groups nationwide. All previous non-professional cultural information activity allowance regulations that conflict with this Circular are hereby abolished.

During the implementation process, if there are any difficulties or obstacles encountered, localities should promptly report them to the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Agriculture for research and resolution.