The content was shared by Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director General of the International Labor Organization (ILO) with Dan Tri reporter during his first visit to Vietnam.
The ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to improving working conditions and raising living standards throughout the world.
In 1992, Vietnam joined this organization. Since then, Vietnam has been an active and responsible member of the ILO. The commitments between Vietnam and the ILO have basically been realized and incorporated into our country's laws.
ILO Director General talks about labor market challenges in his first visit to Vietnam (Video: SN)
Focus on human factor
As a long-time friend of Vietnam, what did you think when you first visited this country?
- This is my first visit to Vietnam as ILO Director-General. The ILO office in Vietnam is one of our largest in the world, with over 100 staff.
Therefore, on this trip, we want to grasp the situation in the areas where there are ILO offices. In addition, we want to expand the areas of cooperation, taking advantage of existing partnerships. In particular, during this visit, we visited a garment factory in Hung Yen - where the Better Jobs program is being implemented.
The program has been implemented since 2009 with the aim of improving labor standards based on the Labor Law and basic international labor standards, enhancing business efficiency and competitiveness of enterprises. To date, this is the most effective program implemented by the ILO in Vietnam.
This is the first time Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo has come to Vietnam as ILO Director General.
Over the past time, the Vietnamese Government has always made efforts to reform policies and laws to better protect the rights and interests of workers. How do you evaluate Vietnam's efforts?
- I always appreciate Vietnam's efforts. This is something that can be completely affirmed since the ILO actively coordinated with the authorities in Vietnam to build the first Labor Code in 1994.
We see that the Vietnamese Government always focuses on the labor factor in economic development with the motto "no one is left behind". Any society has to face challenges such as inflation or inequality and Vietnam is on the right track.
The Vietnamese Government always focuses on the labor factor in economic development with the motto "no one is left behind".
Sir, why is strengthening compliance with international labor laws important for member countries, including Vietnam?
- The ILO has nearly 200 conventions that have been established over the past 100 years. We tend to forget about the weekly working hours or the division established by the ILO Conventions. We also have ILO conventions on child labor or forced labor. Now, we will work on new conventions from now until 2025 - 2026.
The world needs to pay more attention to social forms where we need to have a better balance. The economy creates wealth and the price is the social aspect.
The ILO's contribution is through establishing labour rights in a way that is conducive to increased productivity, while also increasing business profits, helping businesses to develop sustainably.
Vietnam's labor market is improving
After the Covid-19 pandemic and the global economic crisis, what does the ILO predict about the recovery of the global workforce in general and Vietnam in particular? In your opinion, what are the main challenges for Vietnam in the field of labor and employment in the coming years?
- Overall, we see the global labor market changing. However, we expect a moderate recovery in the labor market in 2023. As we have seen, emerging economies are still struggling to recover to pre-Covid-19 levels. The labor market tends to increase the informal sector, the informal economy.
Therefore, in the post-Covid-19 period, we believe that more needs to be done to ensure the rights of workers in this sector and facilitate their transition to the formal sector. This is why we are promoting more social protection programs and creating an enabling environment for the formalization of the informal economy.
Vietnam's labor market is recovering strongly after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Vietnam's labor market is improving. We expect that not only Vietnam but also ASEAN countries are on the right track.
From meetings with the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the National Assembly and the Government, all are supporting and improving so that the Government can keep up with development trends and ensure social security.
Social justice is one of the ILO's operating principles. So what should Vietnam do to ensure social justice?
- Social justice is the foundation for a peaceful world, in which social protection is the main factor. However, there are still 4 billion people in the world who do not enjoy any social protection.
In Vietnam I see a resilience that has been forged through wars and is now a middle-income country, aiming to be a high-income country by 2045. Vietnam is still developing, with a very dynamic market-oriented economy. The Prime Minister also emphasized ensuring that the wealth created by the efforts of all people is shared equally among all segments of society.
Is cheap labor still an advantage?
In addition to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the energy transition and digital transformation also pose a number of challenges. So how can we take advantage of the opportunities and limit the negative impacts on workers, sir?
- I take the example of artificial intelligence. Many warnings say that artificial intelligence will take away many people's jobs. But they also create many new opportunities, new jobs.
Therefore, our task is to ensure that workers in fields that may disappear can improve their skills, welcome new trends, and new types of work. To do so, we need the role of vocational and skills education. Learning is very important and is a lifelong task.
The government can promote new vocational skills training programs, create supportive policies and encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to participate. The business community also needs to work together with the government to make this happen.
Many investors come to Vietnam for cheap labor, but are looking for a more skilled domestic workforce. Is Vietnam still an attractive investment destination?
- I think every country needs to adjust its strategy as it develops, including Vietnam. Most countries in Southeast Asia have seen positive trends through supply chains and outsourcing services from Europe, North America and South Korea.
By developing a better workforce, Vietnam's advantage becomes more obvious.
Thank you for the conversation!
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