Consultation Workshop on Ministerial Agreement on Labour Inspection and Labour Inspection Plan Development

Vientiane (ILO NEWS): Ways of strengthening and improving the labour inspection system in the Lao PDR garment industry are being discussed at a workshop organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Luang Prabang, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MoLSW).

The workshop, held from 18-20 May 2016 is organized by the ILO project, ‘Improving the Garment Sector in Lao PDR: Compliance through Inspection and Dialogue Project’. The Project is a multi-donor funded initiative under the Trade Development Facility (TDFII), which is designed to support the Government's trade and integration priorities, as well as improved competitiveness, and diversification beyond the natural resource sectors.

About 60 participants from MoLSW central and provincial offices are taking part, as well as project partners from the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) and the Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU).

Participants will discuss the strengthening and reform of the labour inspection system, including final consultations on an upcoming Ministerial Agreement to make labour inspections more effective, the development of a national labour inspection plan, and the introduction of a comprehensive Labour Inspection Manual.

In his opening remarks Mr Boukhong Lasoukan, Vice Minister of Labour, stressed the importance of an effective labour inspection system and its contribution to fairness at the workplace, worker protection, sustainable growth and job creation.

The workshop is being chaired by Mr. Phongxaysack Inthalath, Director General of the Labour Management Department. He underlined the Department’s commitment to implementing reforms to build a modern and effective labour inspection system, guided by a clear strategy, including sector-specific interventions and target setting. He emphasized that the reform process would seek to combine labour law enforcement with workplace protection, prevention and improvement measures. The Director General highlighted the importance of using participatory approaches that involve both management and workers’ representatives to help factories assess and improve working conditions. This new approach, which is facilitated by labour inspectors, is currently being piloted in Lao’s garment industry with technical assistance from the ILO.

“I am pleased that the Ministerial Agreement on Labour Inspection, aiming to strengthen the legal and operational framework of the inspection system, is being finalized soon and in full tripartite spirit.” said Maurizio Bussi, Director of ILO Decent Work Team for East and South-East Asia and the Pacific and Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR. ”Once in effect, it can help in bringing Lao PDR’s labour inspection system into line with relevant international labour standards, in particular the ILO’s Labour Inspection Convention No. 81 which outlines the functions of labour inspectors and provides the framework for effective inspection work. We are confident that this work will contribute to Lao PDR’s efforts in advancing with the ratification process of this critically important Convention”.

For more information please contact:

Ms Kristina Kurths
Chief Technical Advisor
Improving the Garment Sector in Lao PDR: Compliance through Inspection and Dialogue
Email

Mr Phongxaysack Inthalath
Director General of Labour Management Department
Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare
Lao Lao People's Democratic Republic
Email