A seminar entitled, “The labour issue in free trade agreements (FTAs) -international experience - opportunities and challenges for Vietnam ”was held in Hanoi on April 29.
Co-organised bythe Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and theInternational Labour Organisation (ILO) Office in Vietnam, thefirst-ever event took place in the context of the Vietnamese governmentholding negotiations on a number of bilateral and multilateral FTAs,including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement, and preparingfor negotiations on the EU-Vietnam FTA.
According toNguyen Kim Phuong, Deputy Director of MoLISA’s Department forInternational Cooperation, Vietnam has not yet signed any bilateralor multilateral agreements with articles on labour standards.
Therefore, labour standards are considered a new issue for Vietnam in its TPP negotiations.
The participants at the seminar emphasised the need to raise awarenessand consensus on negotiating on labour and trade unions in FTAs.
In addition, plans to complete national law must be built andimplemented as soon as possible alongside strengthening the capacity ofthe labour inspection and information-statistical systems, they added.
To date, TPP member countries have held sixnegotiation rounds and the seventh is expected to take place in Ho ChiMinh City in late June.
TPP is the first freetrade agreement where Vietnam joins negotiations containingcommitments on labour standards, including trade union freedom./.
Co-organised bythe Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and theInternational Labour Organisation (ILO) Office in Vietnam, thefirst-ever event took place in the context of the Vietnamese governmentholding negotiations on a number of bilateral and multilateral FTAs,including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement, and preparingfor negotiations on the EU-Vietnam FTA.
According toNguyen Kim Phuong, Deputy Director of MoLISA’s Department forInternational Cooperation, Vietnam has not yet signed any bilateralor multilateral agreements with articles on labour standards.
Therefore, labour standards are considered a new issue for Vietnam in its TPP negotiations.
The participants at the seminar emphasised the need to raise awarenessand consensus on negotiating on labour and trade unions in FTAs.
In addition, plans to complete national law must be built andimplemented as soon as possible alongside strengthening the capacity ofthe labour inspection and information-statistical systems, they added.
To date, TPP member countries have held sixnegotiation rounds and the seventh is expected to take place in Ho ChiMinh City in late June.
TPP is the first freetrade agreement where Vietnam joins negotiations containingcommitments on labour standards, including trade union freedom./.
