ILO praises Vietnam's efforts in promoting decent work in supply chains

Geneva – The International Labour Organisation (ILO) applauded Vietnam's efforts in collaborating with the agency in the field of labour statistics and implementing the Decent Work Country Programme at an international seminar in Geneva on October 16.

Jointly hosted by Vietnam and the ILO on the sidelines of the 21st International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS), the seminar aimed to introduce a project to survey the supply chain of decent jobs in the electronics industry in Vietnam.

In her opening remarks, Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organisations in Geneva, reaffirmed the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to implementing sustainable development and decent work goals as well as working with social partners and the ILO in implementing various policies to promote an effective work environment to ensure the rights and benefits of both employers and employees.

Vietnam has concentrated on amending the Labour Code, promoting vocational training, and enhancing the social security system, especially in the context of challenging employment conditions caused by economic crises and disruptions in the global supply chain in recent times, Mai stressed.

The ILO has provided much appreciated cooperation and technical support for Vietnam since its official membership in 1992. This includes the implementation of the Decent Work Country Programme Vietnam 2022 – 2026 signed between the ILO, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA), and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in March this year, she said.

According to Mai, the ILO has chosen Vietnam as a partner to implement its pilot project on fair work supply chain in the electronics industry in Vietnam.

In their speech, representatives of the ILO introduced the above-mentioned pilot project, saying that new statistical methods on labour and application of digital technology have been developed by the ILO from its practice of labour statistics over the past 20 years.

They emphasised the significance of the project, noting that it provides a practical database to help policymakers give views and accurate assessments. This improves the effectiveness of building and implementing labour and employment policies in the electronics industry, which can be applied in other industries and countries to promote the implementation of decent work goals for all people around the world.

The ILO representatives also spoke highly of Vietnam's cooperative efforts, and the active role played by the General Statistics Office of Vietnam and relevant agencies and organisations in implementing the project, saying that the results of the project will be the basis and model for the ILO to promote the widespread application of new statistical methods in countries, towards realising global decent work and sustainable development goals.

Held every five years, the ICLS offers a venue for experts in labour statistics from countries to discuss methods and standards in labour statistics, thereby promoting the implementation of the goals related to decent work and sustainable development, and improving the efficiency of the working environment.

The event will last until October 20.

Vietnam’s promising economic factors could lead to more foreign workers and overseas Vietnamese entering the country to live and work.

There looks to be plenty of space to enhance labour productivity in Vietnam so that it can become a major driving force for its economic growth.

Enterprises in the southern province of Binh Duong are projected to recruit between 10,000-12,000 employees from now to the end of the year, with skilled and unskilled labourers accounting for about 70 per cent of the total.