Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2018, published 108th ILC session (2019)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Viet Nam (Ratification: 2012)

The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It hopes that the next report will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous comments initially made in 2015.

Repetition

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Implementation of a national employment policy. The Committee notes that the Government indicates in its first report on the application of the Convention that the National Employment Programme for the period 2012–15 aims at supporting vocational training and strengthening the labour market to meet the requirements of national development and international economic integration, with a focus on rural areas. The Government further indicates that the Five-Year Plan for Socio-Economic Development for 2011–15 has employment-oriented targets, including creating 8 million people jobs, maintaining the unemployment rate in urban areas below 4 per cent and increasing the rate of skilled labour forces up to 55 per cent. In its second report on the application of the Convention, the Government indicates that 7,801,000 persons have obtained employment since the adoption of the Five-Year Plan. The Committee notes from the report that, between 2011 and 2014, the National Employment Fund contributed to the creation of 467,000 jobs in the handicraft industry, agriculture and fishery sectors. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the impact of the employment measures taken under the National Employment Programme for the period 2012–15 and of the Five-Year Plan for Socio-Economic Development for 2011–15. It also requests the Government to include information on the procedures for deciding on and reviewing employment measures implemented within the framework of an overall economic and social policy.

Productive employment. The Government indicates that: (i) policies to promote full and productive employment are enshrined in the National Constitution of 2013 and national legislation, including the Labour Code of 2012; (ii) such policies are implemented through various employment promotion measures and activities; and (iii) the rural economy, household enterprises and the informal economy are estimated to account for 71.5 per cent of total employment and are in the highest need for improvement in terms of employment productivity. The Committee requests the Government to provide further information on the measures aimed at promoting productive employment, particularly in rural areas and the informal economy.

Rural employment. The Government indicates that the project entitled Vocational Training for Rural Workers to 2020 is being implemented to promote employment opportunities of rural workers; and that, in 2013, the proportion of workers in the agricultural sector to the total number of employees accounted for 47.1 per cent, notwithstanding the fact that it tends to decrease, due to the transfer of the labour force from the agricultural sector to the industrial sector. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to promote rural employment, including information on the impact of the project Vocational Training for Rural Workers to 2020.

Specific groups of workers. The Committee notes that a scheme was implemented to help persons with disabilities for the period of 2012–20, a project entitled Support for Women in Vocational Training and Job Creation for the period of 2010–15, and the vocational training policy for boarding ethnic minority students. It also notes that policies have been carried out to support apprenticeships, job creation and skill enhancement for young people, including granting loans from the National Fund of Employment to create jobs or provide financial support to young people who own their own farms, private businesses or are the breadwinners of their households. In addition, the Government promotes the participation of young persons in building key national projects. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information, including relevant employment data, on the implementation and impact of the measures taken to promote the employment of persons with disabilities, women, ethnic minorities, and young people.

Collection and use of labour market information. The Government indicates that the collection of labour market information is handled by the Employment Department in the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs through its own investigation and annually updated statistical data, which is systematically carried out from communal or ward levels, provincial or district levels. It adds that the National Employment Service Centre, at the central level, is responsible for gathering and analysing statistics, performing research and providing information to the public. The Government further indicates that the decrease in the unemployment rate ended up as stagnant from 2 per cent in 2011 to 1.9 per cent in 2013 and meanwhile the underemployment rate has been reduced from 2.7 per cent in 2011 to 2.4 per cent in 2013. In the second quarter of 2015, the national unemployment rate remained at 2.4 per cent and the unemployment rate of persons in the 15–24 age group reached 6.7 per cent. Between 2011 and 2014, close to 361,000 workers left the country after concluding employment contracts with overseas employers. The Committee requests the Government to provide updated labour market information on the situation, level and trends of employment, unemployment and underemployment, disaggregated by age, sex and region.

Education and training. The Committee notes that the Vocational Training Strategy for the period 2011–20 is being implemented so as to enhance the quality of vocational training. The Government indicates in its second report that nearly 80 per cent of young workers have not received vocational training before entering into the labour market. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the Vocational Training Strategy for the period 2011–20 in terms of employment creation, as well as on the policies and programmes on vocational training for young people. It also requests the Government to indicate the manner in which the social partners and other stakeholders concerned are consulted with respect to the development of education and training programmes that meet the needs of the labour market.

Employment services. The Committee notes that policies have been introduced for establishing and operating employment promotion centres along with regulating the conditions and licensing procedures for private employment agencies. It also notes the measures taken to strengthen the capacity of the network of employment promotion centres. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the activities carried out by the employment promotion centres, including the number of beneficiaries of employment services obtaining lasting employment.

Article 3. Consultation with the social partners. The Committee notes that since 2008 a number of tripartite consultations have been held to identify priorities and formulate the Viet Nam Employment Strategy 2011–20. These consultations involved representatives of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, other ministries, the National Assembly, workers’ and employers’ organizations and key academics and researchers. Consultations were also held to mainstream employment issues within the Five-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2011–15 and the Ten-Year Socio-Economic Development Strategy for 2011–20. The Government indicates that the Employment Policy Drafting Committee envisages the formulation of employment policies following consultations with different actors of society, including representatives of workers and employers and other interested parties. In its observations, the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour recognizes the Government’s efforts to hold consultations on employment policies, adding that both employers and workers have participated directly in policy formulation from the outset. The Committee requests the Government to provide further information on the activities of the Employment Policy Drafting Committee with respect to the development, implementation and review of employment policies and programmes. Please also provide information on the consultations held with the representatives of rural workers and workers in the informal economy.