U.S. Assists Vietnam in Promoting Better Labor Relations

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has assisted Vietnam in promoting better labor relations amid the rising number of labor strikes, state media reported. Under the U.S.-supported project carried out by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), more than 4,000 union members, labor officials and business representatives in Vietnam have learned about best and comparative practices in labor law education, legal aid services, negotiations and mediation. “The USAID Industrial Relations Promotion Project, which started in October 2009 and ended last month, has assisted Vietnam at a time when there is interest in both countries to work in partnership on labor issues,” said Francis Donovan, director of USAID in Vietnam. “By sharing best practices, this project has informed Vietnamese decision-makers of labor issues as they look to meet international labor standards and build a stable and responsive labor relations system,” he added. Since Vietnam and the U.S. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on labor cooperation in 2000, the two countries have annually held labor talks. Since 1995, Vietnam had reported 3,402 labor strikes, of which 73.16% occurred in foreign-invested companies, 24.08% in private firms and 2.76% in state-run ones, statistics from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (VGCL) showed. “Wildcat strikes would damage the economic development, especially FDI attraction,” experts said, warning that the country would witness more labor strikes in the upcoming time, especially at foreign-invested companies when daily goods prices are continuing surging. (Quan Doi Nhan Dan – People’s Army May 7 p8)