Vietnam and ILO celebrate 100 year journey for social justice

Vietnam and ILO celebrate 100-year journey for social justice

The anniversary took place with millions of Vietnamese people and international friends expressing bowing down to the memory of President Ho Chi Minh on the occasion of his 50^th death anniversary (1969 -2019). This once again affirmed the lasting ideals of Ho Chi Minh and the founders of ILO on labour and social security.

Addressing the event, Dao Ngoc Dung, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, emphasised, “In this new era of development, the ideals of President Ho Chi Minh on labour and the mission of the ILO are still valid and will be realised in a market economy when Vietnam integrates deeply into the global economy guided by the principles of inclusive and sustainable development so that no one is left behind."

According to Dung, since joining the ILO in 1992, Vietnam has been always supporting the organisation's noble goals. As a responsible member of the ILO, Vietnam has paid attention to strengthening and applying international labour standards.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said, “Vietnam and the ILO have together promoted harmonious and progressive labour relations based on the principles of ILO. Vietnamese partners will continue co-operating with the ILO to strive for sustainable jobs for all and realise its vision on the future of work outlined in the ILO’s recent announcement made after the historical International Labour Conference in June 2019,” Dam said.

Emphasising the principles and basic rights of labourers in Vietnam, Deborah Greenfield, deputy general director of the ILO, said that Vietnam’s compliance with the 1998 Declaration is not only legal but also practical. Besides, it has become the cornerstone of new-generation free trade agreements such as the CPTPP and the EVFTA. "The benefits of globalisation and advancing to higher levels in the global supply chain can only be achieved when satisfactory employment becomes the target of Vietnam," she said.

As the only enterprise participating in the ceremony, Australian company Maxport Ltd. Vietnam shared their experiences in ensuring the rights of nearly 6,000 workers who are working in Hanoi, Thai Binh, and Nam Dinh provinces. On this occasion, the company was also recognised for its dedication to protecting Vietnamese workers during their nearly 30 years of operations in Vietnam.

“In this May, we joined the Vietnam Business Coalition for Women's Empowerment to bring into full play gender equality at the workplace and develop women's rights in Vietnam,” Nicholas Stokes, general director of Maxport Ltd. Vietnam, said.

According to him, currently, many enterprises focus solely on investing in machines and technology and forget that the most important factor is human workforce. “Investing in human resources is the most necessary and suitable way, particularly in the context of Industry 4.0,” Nicholas affirmed.