Employers organisations need to work to ensure industrial relations continue operating smoothly at local levels and help improve the interests of businesses, as stated at a Hanoi conference on January 16.

The conference marked the launching of a pilot programme on increasing the effectiveness of employers organisations at the provincial level, which is also being run by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the International Labour Organisation in Viet Nam (ILO).

Tran Thi Lan Anh, deputy head of VCCI's Bureau for Employers' Activities said that currently the ability of employers' organisations in helping enterprises to ensure calm industrial relations and improve HR management policies remains limited.

She added that the organisations have not been developed enough to become a focal point for employers to exchange experiences and offer mutual support by creating programmes to improve industrial relations.

Yoon Youngmo, senior technical expert from the ILO, said employers organisations should seek to form and maintain their connections and cooperation with a strong network of local HR managers to learn from them and benefit from their support.

Dang Dinh Quan, chairman of the Business Association of northern Hung Yen province, stressed the need for capacity building for local employers organisations, as these organisations lack experience and support from the Government.

He cited the case of the Hung Yen Province Business Association as an example. The association, while recognised as working more effectively than most provincial business associations, had faced difficulties, since its operation was self-funded and without support from other sources.

Nguyen Huu Doan, chairman of the Business Association of northern Hai Duong province agreed, saying that local employers organisations had worked on their own and received little support from the local government. Therefore, the organisations' operation could not be as effective as they might be.

The VCCI's capacity building programme aims to help provincial employers organisations to better serve in representing employers by encouraging them to work more closely with their provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, as well as local trade union to deal with labour-related issues, including labour disputes and strikes.

Employers organisations are expected to collect data and studies on employers' operations and their views, so they might make recommendations to local governments on labour-related legal issues and policies. They are also supposed to work as service providers to employers by offering legal support, training and consultation on labour issues.

The Business Associations of Vinh Phuc and Hung Yen provinces and the Hanoi Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority have been chosen to be the first employers organisations to benefit from the programme.-VNA