News

Opening of the Vietnam economy for foreign investors has changed the landscape of the trade union culture in the country. With more multi-national companies opening their business in the country, they brought with them, new managements styles and industrial relations. While foreign investors are welcome to do business, build the economy and provide employment to their citizens – the opening of the economy and the recent Vietnam entry as a member of the World Trade Organisation brings a lot of challenges to the trade union movement. Amongst the negative development is the issue of protecting its workers to have decent working conditions, job security and decent wages. However, it is noted with great dissapointment that in certain companies, although the workers had been working with them for a number of years, they still pay their workers the minimal wages which is now not adequate to cover the living expenses due to the high rate of inflation and the recent food crises that had eroded the workers living standards and downgraded them as the working poor. UNI Apro with their local partners Vietnam General Confederation Labour, Vietnam National Union of Bank Workers, National Union of Post and Telecom and Vietnam National Union of Industry & Trade with LO TCO Sweden has agreed to start working more strategically narrowing down the 10 year project to two provinces now known as the two golden triangles of EPZs, Dong Nai Province and Bihn Duong. A project planning study was conducted from 23-25th April 2008 in Dong Nai Provincial Union, Bihn Duong Provincial Union and Vietnam General Confederation of Labour attended Alice Chang and Hashim Lobe from UNI Apro and Bro. Binh of VGCL as well as the present local partners. Some points highlighted was the urgent need for UNI Apro to provide training to their trade union officials under UNI sectors on the issue of recruitment, organizing, collective bargaining, negotiation skills, industrial relations, grievance handling and communication skills. For the provincial unions, UNI Apro assistance is critical to assist them to understand the new management types brought in by multi-national companies and new ways to organize the growing sectors of workers (domestic migration) that do not have interest in trade unionism. The meetings ended very positively with agreements for establishing a joint cooperation on the areas discussed. UNI Apro has been active in Vietnam under its Vietnam Country Project in partnership with LO TCO Sweden.