Trade unions’ role in promoting female workers’ rights promoted

According to Nguyen Thi Thu Hong, former Chairwoman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, trade unions at all levels have organised a line-up of activities to ensure rights for workers in general and female workers in particular. However, they still face challenges in assuring jobs, living quality and social security for employees.

She said that the conference, which lasts from October 8-16, will help improve women’s position in workplace while affirming that gender equality, a criterion to measure social development in one country, is an important goal for Vietnam and other countries around the world.

Meanwhile, Andre Edelhoff, head of North-South Network Division under the Confederation of German Trade Unions’ education institute DGB Bildungswerk, spoke highly of the project on female workers and unofficial labour in Vietnam, in which the Vietnamese trade union made concerted efforts to popularise the need to improve working and living conditions for female labourers.

After three years of implementation, the project has completed its basic targets, including bettering livelihoods for workers, especially female labourers, and enhancing trade unions’ roles in building sound and stable relations between employers and employees.

Also, it helps promote friendship and cooperation between the Vietnamese trade union and Bildungswerk and members of the North-South Network.

Over the past 13 years, the Confederation of German Trade Union has supported the Vietnamese trade union in carrying out various projects to assure the rights of the workers, he added.

A wide range of issues were on the table at the conference, including female workers and unofficial labour in Vietnam.