Geneva (VNA) – Three garment factories in Vietnam have been awarded grants through the Commuting Safety Challenge, an initiative led by the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s Vision Zero Fund with support from Nike Inc.
According to a release from the ILO, the Challenge invited factories to propose innovative and practical solutions to improve commuting safety for garment workers.
From 11 submissions, four winners, including one from Cambodia, were selected by a panel of occupational safety and road safety experts, with input from the UN Road Safety Fund, Better Factories Cambodia, and the ILO Country Office for Vietnam. A methodology developed by Vision Zero Fund formed the basis of the Commuting Safety Assessment that the factories used.
Of the three Vietnamese winners, Freetrend Industrial is set to launch "Your Safety, Our Priority", featuring a rapid response traffic team, staggered shifts to ease congestion, monthly bus fare subsidies, and infrastructure upgrades. A feedback channel will ensure solutions meet the needs of all workers, including pregnant women and mothers.
Fuluh Shoes will pilot a digital Commuting Safety Data Monitoring System to track accidents and risks, replacing its current ad-hoc reporting approach.
Far Eastern New Century Corporation, meanwhile, will improve infrastructure, introduce peer-to-peer training, and engage the community to promote safer commuting options.
The selected Vietnamese and Cambodian projects are expected to benefit over 31,000 workers across the two countries, the majority of whom are women.
The ILO’s Vision Zero Fund will provide financial and technical support to help the factories implement their plans between October 2025 and April 2026. Their experiences will be shared in a global webinar hosted by the Vision Zero Fund to inspire collective action across the garment and footwear sectors./.
