Participants at the dialogue (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - The 16th Vietnam-US labour dialogue took place in Hanoi on November 16, gathering representatives from the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), the US Department of Labour, and the US Embassy in Vietnam.
This marked the resumption of the annual labour dialogue between the two countries after being suspended since 2017.
Addressing the event, MoLISA Deputy Minister Le Van Thanh said the dialogue’s resumption after years of hiatus has helped the two sides share information about labour as well as labour cooperation and propose solutions to promoting labour-employment and social security cooperation.
Appreciating the technical and financial support with the US Department of Labour, Thanh said these activities have contributed to helping Vietnam to better its system of labour and social policies. It has also helped improve the effectiveness of their implementation, as well as making the US one of the important bilateral partners of MoLISA.
Thea Lee, Deputy Undersecretary for International Labour Affairs at the US Department of Labour, expressed her belief that the resumption of the dialogue will promote cooperation between the two countries in the time to come.
At the dialogue, participants focused their discussion on the reform of labour relations and technical cooperation. Vietnam has made efforts to address child labour and forced labour, workforce development in the digital economy, key challenges and opportunities, and safety and health at the workplace.
Vietnamese representatives updated participants on Vietnam's new labour policies, including the revised Labour Code (2019), the country’s preparation to join conventions of the International Labour Organisation, including Conventions 87 and 98, and information on the implementation of the National Action Plan on Child Labour.
Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung receives Thea Lee, Deputy Undersecretary for International Labour Affairs at the US Department of Labour (Photo: VietnamPlus) Vietnam shared information related to the implementation of the national action plan on child labour, including efforts to reduce children's vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic, and caring for people with disabilities.
The US side spoke highly of Vietnam's efforts in recent years, including issues of interest to the US such as joining conventions, and the prevention of child labour.
The US Department of Labour also provided information on occupational health and safety, and labour in the digital economy, contributing to helping Vietnam build orientations for occupational education development and training.
Participants also reviewed the implementation of cooperation activities between the two ministries in recent years, and proposed cooperation plans in the coming time.
In the framework of the dialogue, MoLISA Minister Dao Ngoc Dung received Thea Lee, in which the Vietnamese official briefed the guest on Vietnam’s progress in building and perfecting policies, and in international integration on labour since the 15th Labour Dialogue in 2017.
Thea Lee said she hopes high-level meetings between the two ministries as well as the labour dialogue between the two sides will be maintained, thus contributing to further promoting the cooperative relationship between the two countries and the two agencies in the future.
Vietnam is gradually aligning its national legislation with global labour standards so as to realise its commitments when taking part in international agreements.
The country, a member of the ILO from 1992, has ratified many conventions of this organisation. The Vietnamese National Assembly adopted the ILO’s Convention No. 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining in 2019.
Convention No. 98 is the sixth fundamental convention Vietnam has ratified. The others include Convention No. 29 on forced labour, Conventions No. 100 and 111 on non-discrimination, and Conventions No. 138 and 182 on child labour.
Vietnam is working on the preparation to ratify Convention No. 87 on the freedom of association in 2023./.
