IR Project

VGCL/TUSSO/GUF 6th Information Sharing and Cooperation Meeting, 10-11 May

The VGCL/TUSSO/GUF Information Sharing and Cooperation Meeting is a biennium activity among Viet Nam General Confederation (VGCL) and international trade union organizations over the world, namely International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), National centres such as LO-Norway, LO-Sweden, , America Center for International Labour Solidarity (ACILS) etc and global unions such as Building and Wood Workers’ International – Asia-Pacific (BWI-AP), IndustriAll, UNI Asia-Pacific Regional Office ,Education International (EI), as well as trade union federations in region and international organizations (ILO CO Hanoi, FES-Hanoi and APHEDA). In 2014, the 5th Information Sharing and Cooperation Meeting was organized successfully in Phu Tho Province.

As planned, the 6th Information Sharing and Cooperation Meeting was organized accordingly on 10th-11th May 2016 with informal opening activity held on 09th May. It was a very timely meeting in the context of Viet Nam’s deeper integration into global economy with the rapid transition in industrial relations, in line with its economic reform agenda and the commitments and obligations in the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) and the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union (EUVN-FTA) to comply with the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. The VGCL/TUSSO/GUF 6th Sharing Information and Cooperation Meeting provided an opportunity to share information and plan future development cooperation programs between Vietnam trade unions and international support organisations. Specifically, this occasion was time for TUSSOs/GUFs and VGCL summing up outcomes of 5th Meeting, updating internal developments and achievements as well as socio-economic actual situation in Viet Nam, disseminating Vietnam’s commitments and obligations in new generation of FTA, discussing on new method – ‘Bottom up’, challenges/opportunities for trade unions (including TPP and Convention No. 87 and No. 98 ratification), and especially presenting trade union reform agenda and methodology, and introducing of Draft Joint Platform on cooperation and support for trade union development in Viet Nam in the coming 2 years.

The ILO has been worked and engaged with VGCL over the past 15 years in capacity building, pilot activities on new methods, support to the VGCL participation in the National Wage Council and promotion and assistance in understanding international labour standards including those detailing the fundamental principles and rights at work, especially the freedom of association and collective bargaining in Convention No. 87 and No. 98 which represents key enabling rights, critical to the achievement of the other core labour standards, income equality, safe and healthy workplaces and the achievement of a variety of other terms and conditions at work for the well-being and human dignity of all workers.

The International Labour Organization is committed to provide its technical and financial supports for VGCL to organize this important meeting through the Viet Nam-ILO Industrial Relations Project.