HCM City (VNA) – Investment in technology and equipment are needed for global competitiveness, but good working conditions and labour relations are of equal importance, the vice president of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) said during a workshop in HCM City on July 4.
Hoang Van Dung, speaking at a workshop organised by the VCCI and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), said Vietnamese companies faced fierce competition as well as new opportunities following the country’s admission into the World Trade Organisation in January.
The ILO director, Rose Greve, said there was an urgent need to strengthen and modernise Viet Nam’s industrial labour relations system and practices at the national, sectoral and company level.
Greve said that experiences elsewhere showed that good relations between labour and management, governed by a sound national industrial labour relations policy and regulations, enabled improved productivity, competitiveness and sustainability.
Companies must respect workers’ rights and ensure that their legitimate concerns be heard sympathetically, she said.
In the wake of WTO accession, Greve said that Viet Nam was facing the challenge of enhancing the quality of its labour force to take advantage of new opportunities.
Reforming the education and training system was a long-term prospect involving substantial resources, she said.
At the one-day workshop, representatives from Intel Vietnam and Sears also spoke about the link between good labour relations and competitiveness to about 150 representatives from local companies and business groups.
The Swiss government’s 10-month Factory Improvement Programme provided funding for the workshop.-Enditem
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