HANOI, Viet Nam (ILO News) – Trade unionists supporting efforts to green Viet Nam’s chemical and pharmaceutical industry have committed to future courses of action so that unions can continue to contribute to a safe, secure and sustainable environment, society and workplaces.

Representatives of workers’, employers’ organizations, private enterprises and Viet Nam’s Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) took part in a workshop entitled ‘Green Jobs and Just Transition in the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry in Viet Nam’ in Hanoi on 4-5 May 2023.

In all, 45 participants, including unionists from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) and Vietnam National Union of Workers in Industry and Trade (VUIT), as well as representatives from the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), learned from the experiences and lessons of the trade unions and enterprises which involved in the ILO’s project, “Making Just Transition Work through Stronger Workers’ Organizations in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industries” during the February 2022 - May 2023 period.

Gained the benefits of the Project and discussed strategies and plans for future actions and cooperation between VGCL/VUIT and ILO, the participants expressed their strong desire for the continuity of the project with a request for its expansion steel and paper.

In his opening remarks, Nguyen Duc Thinh, VGCL Presidium Member said: “Despite only being a short implementation period, project activities have greatly helped improve the awareness of Vietnamese trade union representatives on ILO’s “just transition guidelines towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all (2015)” and particularly piloted its application to two pilot factories.”

Ingrid Christensen, Director of the ILO Country Office for Viet Nam, emphasized the importance of a just transition for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. “Improper use of chemicals can bring adverse consequences to workers, communities and the nature,” she said. Ms Christensen highlighted that the ILO’s work towards greener economies and green jobs increases climate change resilience, especially for the most vulnerable, and supports workplace transition, reskilling and upskilling. “The project successfully achieved its objectives and gathered practical lessons learned,” she added.

The project aimed to empower trade unions on the ILO Guidelines for a just transition and encourage them to launch campaigns for safe, secure and sustainable environment, society and workplaces. The Guidelines recommend nine policy areas, which can help countries manage the transition towards low-carbon economies.

The workshop was jointly initiated by the ILO, VGCL, and VUIT. The event was the conclusion of a series of collaborative activities with the VGCL, undertaken by the ILO project, funded by the ILO-Japan partnership programme.

For further information please contact:

Pong-Sul Ahn
Regional Specialist in Workers' Education
ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Email: ahn@ilo.org

Eric Roeder
ILO Technical Specialist on Green Jobs, Climate Action and Resilience through Just Transition - Asia Pacific Region
Email: roeder@ilo.org