Social protection
Lao coffee and tea producers strengthen their collective bargaining skills
ILO and Oxfam jointly organized a workshop on social dialogue and collective bargaining for formalisation of employment and compliance with the labour and social security laws.
5 August 2024
VIENTIANE, Lao People's Democratic Republic (ILO News) - Workers in Lao PDR’s coffee and tea sectors are mainly engaged in informal employment, often as seasonal and daily wage workers. Their basic labour rights and protections are restricted, and their lack of representation through social dialogue makes workers highly vulnerable.
The “Reducing vulnerability in Lao PDR: Advancing social protection and labour rights and entitlements in the coffee and tea sectors (SOLAR)” project works with such coffee and tea producers on the Bolaven Plateau, particularly informal workers and women. One of its key goals is to promote social dialogue in workplaces and strengthen the negotiation and collective bargaining skills of coffee and tea sector workers with their respective employers, buyers and business owners.
ILO and Oxfam addressed these challenges through a training and brainstorming workshop on “Social dialogue and collective bargaining for formalisation of employment and compliance with the Labour and Social Security Laws in the coffee and tea sectors” from 23 to 25 January 2024.
Social dialogue is vital for harmonious workplace relations, economic growth, and inclusive development. It can help workers and employers identify common problems and reach solutions based on a culture of sharing information. “ILO’s governance paradigm is based on social dialogue to promote social justice, fair workplace relations, and decent work so that social partners are involved in shaping the decisions that affect their operations as well as socio-economic policies,” explained Arun Kumar, Collective Bargaining and Social Dialogue Specialist, ILO.
Over the first two days of the workshop, participants learned the basic principles of social dialogue. Officers from the Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU) and civil society organisations explained what they have done under SOLAR and similar projects to encourage formation of producer groups. Participants then developed action plans to promote and strengthen social dialogue within their networks.
On the third day, participants observed a training by LFTU to the Organic Agricultural Cooperative (OAC), which produces and sells organic vegetables in Vientiane’s fresh markets. The training focused on collective bargaining with buyers/employers, and was facilitated by the Informal Workers Advancement Association, a civil society organisation. During the field visit, participants gained awareness of the benefits and requirements of effective social dialogue and explored a framework for engagement with cooperatives and companies.
“After returning from the workshop, I have shared the negotiation and collective bargaining skills I learned with our coffee producer groups, and in the coming months, I hope to implement my action plan by organizing trainings and dialogues in our local area,” said Kolaka Sibounheuang, Team Leader of Phan Thin Social Enterprise. Ultimately, the project aims to create conditions conducive to the organisation of informal workers, to increase their capacity for representation, and to address problems through social dialogue.
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