HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s Decent Work Country Programme for the 2017-21 period has been launched in Hà Nội, focusing on employment, social protection and labour market governance.
The new document, endorsed by representatives of the Government, workers and employers’ organisations, and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), sets the framework for co-operation between the ILO and Việt Nam in the next five years to make progress towards achieving decent work for everyone in the country.
The programme was signed on Tuesday by Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Đào Ngọc Dung and leaders of social partners, including President of the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vũ Tiến Lộc, President of the Việt Nam General Confederation of Labour, Bùi Văn Cường, Chairman of the Việt Nam Co-operative Alliance, Nguyễn Ngọc Bảo and ILO Việt Nam Director, Chang-Hee Lee.
The ILO and its constituents agreed to set out three country priorities to be addressed in the coming years. They include promoting decent employment and an enabling environment for sustainable entrepreneurship opportunities, reducing poverty by extending social protection for all and reducing unacceptable forms of work, especially for the most vulnerable and building effective labour market governance compliant with fundamental principles and rights at work.
“In the new phase of co-operation, the Vietnamese Government continues to put the emphasis on employment issues, human resources development and social protection in the context of the ongoing international economic integration, in line with the sustainable development strategy, balance between economic and social goals, and rights safeguarded for workers, businesses and the entire society,” said the Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs at the signing ceremony.
He suggested the ILO and social partners develop an implementation plan for the programme. In the coming time, priority should be given to the continued support of labour law reforms and harmonious industrial relations at enterprises.
He also asked for the ILO’s support in developing the national reform on wages and social insurance policies, and ratifying some key ILO conventions for deepening the international integration.
This is the third Decent Work Country Programme for Việt Nam (with the previous one covering the 2012-16 period) since the country rejoined the ILO in 1992. The fist collaboration between ILO and Việt Nam was to assist the country in developing its Labour Code in 1994 when it had to form a new legal framework to govern the labour market as part of the Đổi mới (Renewal Process).
The 2017-21 programme translates the ILO’s core mandate of advancing opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity into the country’s context. It is aligned with the National Social and Economic Development Plan and the Việt Nam United Nations One Plan for the same period.
“The ILO is committed to working together with tripartite partners to achieve our common goals,” said the ILO Việt Nam director.
He noted that the programme should be used as a transition period towards a new modality of collaboration and partnership, from resource intensive to knowledge intensive. During this period, support should also be given to tripartite partners – Government, workers and employers’ organisations – at decentralised levels, to equip them with an organisational capacity for sustainable changes on the ground. — LV
