The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) held a conference in Hanoi on September 4 to launch the second phase of a pilot programme on industrial relations in the northern and central regions.

As a part of the Vietnam-International Labour Organisation (ILO) Industrial Relations Project, the phase aims to continue improving the role and capacity of higher-level trade unions in promoting the establishment of grassroots-level organisations with focus on renovating their organisational structure and operational efficiency, and improving collective bargaining capacity.

It will realise the revised Labour Code and Law on Trade Union and major targets set during the 11 th Congress of the VGCL in July this year to raise the number of trade union members and their legitimate rights.

The phase will renovate methods to increase trade union members, set up grassroots-level trade unions, improve the capacity of their staff as well as foster dialogue at the workplace.

It will be carried out from now till December 2014, following the previous one from October 2010 to December 2011 and the transition period in the second half of 2012.-VNA