HANOI (ILO News) – To study activities of trade unions and employers and industrial relations in economic development and international integration, Politburo member and Head of the Party Central Mass Mobilization Committee, Truong Thi Mai, on 4 March visited Hai Phong Economic Zone, together with ILO Viet Nam Director Chang-Hee Lee, President of Viet Nam General Confederation of Labou Bui Van Cuong, and President of Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vu Tien Loc.

This is one of Viet Nam’s localities with recorded progresses in establishing trade unions and improving industrial relations.

Hai Phong Economic Zone, which includes nearly 288 enterprises and 174 grassroots trade unions, has been a bright spot with various initiatives in strengthening trade union activities for harmornious industrial relations.

The Economic Zone’s Trade Union has implemented various pilots with ILO supports through the Japan-funded New Industrial Relations Framework project, including establishing grassroots trade unions from the bottom up; negotiating multi-employer collective bargaining agreement among Korean enterprises in Trang Due Industrial Zone, promoting multi-employer social dialogue among Japanese enterprises in Nomura IZ.

At the visit, the Politburo member said improving trade unions’ roles and harmonizing industrial relations are important for the political stability and sustainable development.

There should be stronger supports from the State, she noted, for the operation of labour dispute settlement mechanisms, and for the implementation of international conventions and free trade deals which Viet Nam is a member of.

During the event, ILO Viet Nam Director reaffirmed ILO’s commitments to continue supporting Hai Phong Economic Zone Trade Union in particular and VGCL in general in implementing new initatives in organizing trade unions, collective barganing and social dialogue.

He believed that local experiences such as Hai Phong Economic Zone Union should be fully considered during the implementation of the important resolution of the 12th VGCL Congress in September 2018, particularly the three breakthroughs. They include reform of trade union’s organization and mode of operation in representing and protecting for workers; development of trade union officers, particularly the chairs of grassroots unions in the non-State sector; and improvement of trade union capacity and promotion for trade unions to meet new requirements posed by the country’s development context.