Attending the program were Ms. Roopa Nair, Director of Better Work Global Program; Ms. Nguyen Hong Ha, Director of Better Work Vietnam Program.
Ms. Roopa Nair, Director of Better Work Global Program, said that Better Work Vietnam is a very important program.
“The Better Work Vietnam program is one of the largest and most impactful programs of Better Work globally. The program has had an impact in improving working conditions, increasing productivity and profits of businesses. This is a model for many countries in the world. The program has also helped Vietnamese businesses participate effectively in the global supply chain; contributing to making Vietnam a country where brands place more orders,” Ms. Roopa Nair assessed.
The Better Work Global Program Director said that the program's experience and data research show that to achieve the goal of improving working conditions, the participation of trade unions at all levels is very important.
According to her, after 15 years of Better Work in Vietnam, it is time to review lessons learned and set out future directions, including developing a clear and effective toolkit and methodology. Ms. Roopa Nair welcomed the contributions from the VGCL on the priorities of the program, as well as areas where the program can be improved in the future.
On behalf of the Presidium of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, Mr. Phan Van Anh, Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, highly appreciated the cooperation between the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor and the Better Work program. According to Mr. Phan Van Anh, in the recent past, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor has coordinated with the program to implement many activities: Training to improve the capacity of trade union officials at all levels, in many fields: Labor safety; prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace; dialogue, negotiation...
“The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor highly appreciates these activities. Through them, union officials are trained and acquire knowledge, contributing to improving their ability to represent the legitimate and legal rights of workers,” said Mr. Phan Van Anh.
Mr. Phan Van Anh proposed drastic measures against enterprises that have violated the law for a long time, over many cycles, to properly implement the law, ensure the rights of workers, and build harmonious relationships within enterprises... The Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor also discussed a number of issues related to the organizational model and some key activities of the Vietnam Trade Union in the coming time.
Ms. Roopa Nair highly appreciated the breakthroughs of the Vietnam Trade Union in the 2023-2028 term, including promoting dialogue and collective bargaining, focusing on wages, bonuses, working hours, rest hours, and occupational safety and hygiene.
Ms. Roopa Nair affirmed that the Better Work Program is ready to cooperate more closely with grassroots trade unions and local labor federations in providing common guidance; ready to create a mechanism to share knowledge and experience between the two sides, especially when the Trade Union Law (amended) comes into effect.
