IR Project

Annual Viet Nam Industrial Relations Forum 'Renovation of Viet Nam's Industrial Relations in the Process of Global Integration'

Tripartite partners and ILO have decided to jointly organize an annual Viet Nam Forum on Industrial Relations. The proposed Viet Nam Forum is an annual meeting of not only tripartite partners and ILO, but also key stakeholders, including Vietnam’s major trading partners, leading multinational enterprises and their interlocutors, local business associations, local labour NGOs, international and national scholars, and journalists.

Tripartite partners and ILO have been working together to build sound industrial relations and respect for ILO’s value and principles since early 2000s. With deeper integration of Viet Nam into global economy through various free trade agreements, most prominently the Transpacific Partnership Agreement and EU-Viet Nam FTA, Viet Nam has renewed its commitment to reforming its laws, institutions and practices of industrial relations in full respect of the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work of the ILO. After 30 years of successful economic Doi Moi which pulled millions out of poverty and pushed the country to middle income status, Viet Nam is about to launch institutional Doi Moi to its labour market institutions, including industrial relations. All actors are committed to making the industrial relations Doi Moi a success story so that Viet Nam can move into an upper-middle income country through an inclusive growth path.

Keynote Speakers
Mr. Pham Minh Huan, Vice Minister of Labour-Invalids and Social Affairs
Presented the Keynote Speech on ‘Vietnam’s international integration, and implementation of fundamental principles and rights at work’

Mr. Maurizio Bussi, Director of ILO Decent Work Team for East and South-East Asia and the Pacific
Presented the Keynote Speech on 'Globalization, international labour standards and inclusive growth’


 

The main objectives of the Viet Nam Forum on Industrial Relations are as follows:
  • To present and share with key stakeholders progress made in industrial relations reform by tripartite actors in the context of Viet Nam’s deeper global integration, which include Viet Nam’s trading partners, key private sector actors, local NGOs, and national and international experts
  • To communicate the key achievements and challenges ahead to the general public in Viet Nam and abroad through mass media
  • To have in-depth discussion on key themes of industrial relations reforms, among IR practitioners, policy-makers, private sector representatives, union leaders, national and international experts
  • To provide a platform for on-going and regular networking, information sharing and consensus building on key areas of industrial relations among tripartite partners and key stakeholders, moving towards full realization of FPRW, with a particular focus on freedom of association and collective bargaining, based on joint reflection on progress made and challenges remaining

The specific objectives of 2016 IR Forum are as follows:
  • To communicate nationally and internationally that a new and major stage of IR reform in Viet Nam is beginning, with tripartite commitment
  • To share key progress and challenges so far in IR reform and the implications of deepening global integration for IR
  • To share experience, improve knowledge and build shared views on key areas of industrial relations reform in light of Viet Nam’s international obligations as an ILO member state, with regard to
    • Representational roles of the trade unions 
    • Global supply chain management for Decent Work 
    • Role of Government in sound industrial relations 
  • To launch the IR Forum as a new network of collaboration and exchange for tripartite partners and key stakeholders.