Labour inspection
Labour inspectors to focus on electronics firms in 2017
The annual labour inspection campaign is expected to improve law compliance in this key export sector.
VINH PHUC (ILO News) – The 2017 Labour Inspection Campaign was launched this morning in the northern province of Vinh Phuc to improve law compliance in the electronics sector.
The campaign, which will take place from April to December 2017, will focus on issues of contracts, dialogues and collective bargaining, overtime, wages, social insurance, and occupational safety and health.
The 2017 labour inspection campaign is the third of its kind organized by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs with the support from the International Labour Organization. The previous campaigns were on garment and construction sectors.
The campaign is expected to create an opportunity for the Government, employers and trade unions to work together to promote law compliance as it is not only the responsibility of labour inspectors but also other stakeholders in the electronics industry.
Results of a new survey by MoLISA and ILO showed that working and rest hours is among the mostly violated issues found at electronics firms in Viet Nam due to pressure by relevant stakeholders.
According to the survey which was conducted in 2016, excessive overtime working was one of the main causes of occupational accidents at electronic firms. Other causes included lack of training on occupational safety and health, insufficient provision of personal protective equipment, and employers’ failure to apply solutions to improve working conditions.
There also remained violations of labour laws on wages, overtime payment, insurance contribution and payment for working on holidays.
The electronics industry is one of the largest job generation sectors in Viet Nam. In 2014, the industry employed 411,000 workers, a seven-fold increase against 2005.
Electronics is also the country’s biggest export industry, exceeding the garment sector.
ILO studies released in 2016 highlighted challenges for the sector, including how to improve working conditions, capture the world’s knowledge and technologies in the industry, improve skills for workers, and help Vietnamese enterprises enter the global market.
About four fifths of workers in the sector at the bottom of the electronics job structure are mostly young Vietnamese women doing assembly jobs that do not add extra value to products. Women tend not to hold technical or managerial positions, and top management positions are held by foreigners.
The campaign, which will take place from April to December 2017, will focus on issues of contracts, dialogues and collective bargaining, overtime, wages, social insurance, and occupational safety and health.
The 2017 labour inspection campaign is the third of its kind organized by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs with the support from the International Labour Organization. The previous campaigns were on garment and construction sectors.
The campaign is expected to create an opportunity for the Government, employers and trade unions to work together to promote law compliance as it is not only the responsibility of labour inspectors but also other stakeholders in the electronics industry.
Results of a new survey by MoLISA and ILO showed that working and rest hours is among the mostly violated issues found at electronics firms in Viet Nam due to pressure by relevant stakeholders.
According to the survey which was conducted in 2016, excessive overtime working was one of the main causes of occupational accidents at electronic firms. Other causes included lack of training on occupational safety and health, insufficient provision of personal protective equipment, and employers’ failure to apply solutions to improve working conditions.
There also remained violations of labour laws on wages, overtime payment, insurance contribution and payment for working on holidays.
The electronics industry is one of the largest job generation sectors in Viet Nam. In 2014, the industry employed 411,000 workers, a seven-fold increase against 2005.
Electronics is also the country’s biggest export industry, exceeding the garment sector.
ILO studies released in 2016 highlighted challenges for the sector, including how to improve working conditions, capture the world’s knowledge and technologies in the industry, improve skills for workers, and help Vietnamese enterprises enter the global market.
About four fifths of workers in the sector at the bottom of the electronics job structure are mostly young Vietnamese women doing assembly jobs that do not add extra value to products. Women tend not to hold technical or managerial positions, and top management positions are held by foreigners.