Industrial Relations Forum
Tripartite Joint Statement on the renovation of Viet Nam’s industrial relations in the process of international integration
Joint Statement of Ministry of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs, Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour, and Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
On 19th April 2016, Viet Nam’s tripartite partners including Ministry of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs, Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour, and Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, together with International Labour Organization (ILO), jointly organized Viet Nam Industrial Relations Forum 2016 with the topic “Renovation of Viet Nam’s industrial relations in the process of international integration”.
The Forum is organized in the context of Viet Nam’s deeper integration into the global economy through free trade agreements (FTA), especially two new-generation FTAs, Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and EU – Viet Nam FTA, which have been concluded recently and are in the process of submitting to the National Assembly for approval.
The Forum offered an opportunity for stakeholders to jointly evaluate the progress made by Viet Nam for the last two decades since the adoption of the Labour Code in 1994. Tripartite partners recognized significant progress made over the past years in laying foundations for the industrial relations system in Viet Nam, which includes the revision and improvement of the legal framework governing trade union as well as employers’ representative organizations activities; provisions concerning social dialogue and negotiation of collective bargaining agreements; labour disputes and strikes settlement; and minimum wage fixing; together with a gradual building of industrial relations capacity of tripartite actors.
The three parties also identified opportunities and challenges arising from Viet Nam’s industrialization as well as predictive impacts from TPP and EU-Viet Nam FTA. Based on that, the Forum discussed pathways for renovation for a more effective system of industrial relations, including improving the industrial relations’ legal and institutional system which is associated with capacity building for industrial relations actors, and improving the performance of industrial relations government bodies and labour inspection. This renovation aims at harmonious, stable and progressive industrial relations, and ensuring rights and interests of workers and employers and common benefits of the society in full respect of the fundamental principles and rights at work as stated in the ILO Declaration 1998.
Through the discussions, we also noted that there is a need for every stakeholder, including multinational companies and lead firms of global supply chains, to make efforts to strictly implement national law as well as comply with the internationally recognized fundamental principles and rights at work, while striving to ensure fair distribution of economic benefits expected from various FTAs.
As an ILO member State and a negotiating and concluding party to TPP and EU-Viet Nam FTA, we are committed to working with various stakeholders to respect, promote and realize the principles enshrined in the ILO 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, including efforts to consider the possibility to ratify the remaining core Conventions of the ILO.
Viet Nam Industrial Relations Forum is planned to be a regular high level tripartite meeting where leaders of tripartite partners, together with other stakeholders and the ILO, review progresses and achievements made as well as challenges and shortcomings in implementing Viet Nam’s labour national law and international commitments. The partners are committed to making collaborative efforts through specific activities to realize the recommendations made by the Forum./.
The Forum is organized in the context of Viet Nam’s deeper integration into the global economy through free trade agreements (FTA), especially two new-generation FTAs, Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and EU – Viet Nam FTA, which have been concluded recently and are in the process of submitting to the National Assembly for approval.
The Forum offered an opportunity for stakeholders to jointly evaluate the progress made by Viet Nam for the last two decades since the adoption of the Labour Code in 1994. Tripartite partners recognized significant progress made over the past years in laying foundations for the industrial relations system in Viet Nam, which includes the revision and improvement of the legal framework governing trade union as well as employers’ representative organizations activities; provisions concerning social dialogue and negotiation of collective bargaining agreements; labour disputes and strikes settlement; and minimum wage fixing; together with a gradual building of industrial relations capacity of tripartite actors.
The three parties also identified opportunities and challenges arising from Viet Nam’s industrialization as well as predictive impacts from TPP and EU-Viet Nam FTA. Based on that, the Forum discussed pathways for renovation for a more effective system of industrial relations, including improving the industrial relations’ legal and institutional system which is associated with capacity building for industrial relations actors, and improving the performance of industrial relations government bodies and labour inspection. This renovation aims at harmonious, stable and progressive industrial relations, and ensuring rights and interests of workers and employers and common benefits of the society in full respect of the fundamental principles and rights at work as stated in the ILO Declaration 1998.
Through the discussions, we also noted that there is a need for every stakeholder, including multinational companies and lead firms of global supply chains, to make efforts to strictly implement national law as well as comply with the internationally recognized fundamental principles and rights at work, while striving to ensure fair distribution of economic benefits expected from various FTAs.
As an ILO member State and a negotiating and concluding party to TPP and EU-Viet Nam FTA, we are committed to working with various stakeholders to respect, promote and realize the principles enshrined in the ILO 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, including efforts to consider the possibility to ratify the remaining core Conventions of the ILO.
Viet Nam Industrial Relations Forum is planned to be a regular high level tripartite meeting where leaders of tripartite partners, together with other stakeholders and the ILO, review progresses and achievements made as well as challenges and shortcomings in implementing Viet Nam’s labour national law and international commitments. The partners are committed to making collaborative efforts through specific activities to realize the recommendations made by the Forum./.