News

The UNI Apro and LO TCO Sweden delegates this year conducted the evaluation of its Vietnam Country Project 21155 Evaluation in an active and participatory role by holding meetings within the circle of the trade unions that had benefited from the projects, visit to the two provinces that house the bulk of Export Processing Zones (EPZ) and a visit to two different sectors/industry grass root trade unions – one a Vietnamese company and the other a multinational company.



The 25thSep2008 meeting with all the beneficiary of the project reflect that the project has indeed benefited the trade union movement in Vietnam. Reflecting that the market economy has brought about profound changes in the living and working habits of its people – the trade union needs to evolve to remain active in being relevant to its members and at the same time being able to attract more workers into the trade union is a challenge.



The project has enabled a higher number of members that have taken on executive positions in the trade unions as a result of the training activities in the project and an increase of women members taking up executive positions in the unions after training in the project. The strength of the trainings conducted by UNI Apro is in negotiation skills, improve coordination internally, increased counterpart relationship with same sectors unions both domestic and international and increased knowledge in general.



The trade union movement in Vietnam does have its own problems. The two main reasons are the difficulties attracting people to the union. Especially potential trade union representatives as the new style of work does not encourage people to partiipate more actively due to time constraits. The in creased in part time workers has also effected the trade union membership as this is considered a new form of work not traditional organised by the trade unions.



Overcoming some of the weakness; Lack of skills, Old thinking, Lack of resources, Bureaucratic system in evaluating and promoting staff, Limited time for activities and the need for a pro-active trade union movement needs to be addressed strategically. While in reality, Vietnam has good labour laws there is an issue ofthe enforcement of this law in the Eport Processing Zones (EPZ) as the foreign employers float the laws. The trade unions needs to be geared for the challenges especially as the market economy leads to conflicts between the counterparts and with this there is the changing role of the trade union representative in this ”new” model.



The delegates noted that Vietnam National Union of Post and Telecom Workers (VNUPTW) has now become a member of UNI. The first such union in Vietnam to join a Global Union. This will open the doors of the other unions in Vietnam to also apply for affiliation to a Global Union and be part of the larger trade union organisation. This also means that the Vietnam Trade Unions must gear up its laguage skills and union’s capacity to truely benefit from this cooperation.



A visit to the Ho Chi Minh City Confederation of Labour in the afternoon by the UNI Apro Delegates, LO TCO Sweden and delegates from UNI LCJ, Japan met with Mr. Tran Thanh Hai, Permanent Vice President and his team of officials. This cordial meeting reflects the good relationship Vietnamese Trade Unions and Trade Union organization overseas.



The main challenge as a member of the WTO is the unprecedented competition on its national companies, high inflation rate that stands at 20% at the beginning of the year reducing the real income of workers and the unwillingness of foreign companies to negotiate on the workers working conditions. This year alone, the trade union in HCM city recorded 177 strikes to date – the main reasons is – WAGE!! Strikes will take place as long as the employers refuse to enter into a dialog with its workers. The HCM Federation is now guiding the members to bargain with the employers and put pressure for collective bargaining to take place.



HCM Federation of Labor also takes pride in providing better skills to its workers under their care as they provide training at the enterprise level after working hours in their workplaces, training in technical and vocational school so that the skills remains relevant in the workplace.



Christopher Ng, Regional Secretary of UNI Apro congratulates the union for the work that this union has done and noted the progress made. He comments the union for their effort.



The UNI Apro is represented by Mr. Christopher Ng, Regional Secretary UNI Apro and Alice Chang. LO TCO Sweden is represented by Ms. Marie Kihlberg Nelving, UNIONEN, Sweden and Ms. Maria Nyberg, Union of Commercial Employees,Sweden. UNI LCJ is represented by Mr. Ishikawa Koji, Head of UNI LCJapan Delegation, Mr. Yoichi Tobita, JSD, Mr. Toshiro Uemura, UI ZENSEN, Mr. Koji Ishikawa, FNIU, Mr. Katsuhiko Suzuki, NWJ, Mr. Kenji Hirano, JPGU, Mr. Masahide Goto, FNIU and Ms. Yoko Ogawa, UNI Apro Tokyo Office



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Background: This is the annual evaluation programme of the Vietnam Country Project in Hanoi undertaken by UNI Apro and LO TCO Sweden that will take place in VNUPTW’s office in Ho Chi Minh City on 25th Sep2008 follow by visits to the provincial trade unions and grass root trade union on 26th Sep2008 .



The aim of this meeting is to take the opportunity for everyone in the Vietnam country project to report on the development in the trade union movement in Vietnam and for the partners to evaluation the results of this Vietnam Country Project Cooperation. (Short Survey was conducted for VNUPTW, VNUBW & VUIT).

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