Vietnam, Spain share trade union experiences

The Spanish Trade Union (STU) has shared its experiences with the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) in building trade union organisations and protecting workers’ rights in the context of economic crisis.

At talks between VGCL President Dang Ngoc Tung and visiting STU Secretary in charge of international affairs Javier Doz in Hanoi on Nov. 4, Tung affirmed the STU delegation’s working visit to Vietnam would contribute to promoting the friendship and cooperation between the two trade unions and their workers.

He said he hoped both sides would exchange information on trade union activities as well as experiences and the skills to organise negotiations on labour contracts in private and foreign-invested businesses.

The two sides should organise training courses to increase trade unionists’ knowledge and set up ties between trade unions of the two countries’ localities, he said.

While in Vietnam from Nov. 4-9, the Spanish delegation will hold working sessions with the trade unions of Hanoi , the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh , Vietnam Industry and Trade and Vietnam Garment and Textiles trade unions. They will also tour a number of Vietnam ’s historical relics and sites./.

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Vietnam, Japan share trade union experience

President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour Dang Ngoc Tung held talks with the President of the National Confederation of Trade Unions of Japan (Zenroren) Sakuji Daikoku in Hanoi on Nov. 3.

Tung praised the cooperation and assistance from Zenroren and the trade unions movement of Japan to Vietnam ’s trade unions and expressed his wish that Vietnam would continue to receive support and learn from the experiences of Zenroren, to build trade union movements in Vietnam.

He expressed his hope that the current Vietnam visit by Sakuji Daikoku and Zenroren officials would help further develop the fine cooperation between the two trade union organisations.

The Vietnamese trade union leader told the guests that the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) was exerting efforts to accelerate trade union activities, especially at the grassroots level, increasing collective negotiations and signing collective labour agreements, with many benefits to workers.

The VGCL is in the process of adjusting the Law on Trade Unions and coordinating with the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs in amending the Labour Code, which is expected to be approved by the National Assembly in May 2011.

Sakuji Daikoku expressed his wish that the two sides would coordinate to help Vietnamese workers improve their skills and knowledge of Japanese labour law before being sent to Japan .

At present, Japan has 1,500 businesses operating in Vietnam. In 2010, Japan’s registered investment in Vietnam hit 1.5 billion USD.

During the visit, which runs from Nov. 2-8, Zenroren officials will work with several trade union organisations in Vietnam and visit some historical sites in the country./.

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Trade union development gets Danish support

A programme supported by Denmark to assist the private business sector to strengthen capacity for trade unions, beginning in 2005, has brought remarkable results, said the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) on Oct. 26.

At a sum-up of the implementation of the programme’s second component, the VGCL assessed the programme after five years as having helped trade unions in Nghe An, Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong provinces attract more members and set up grassroots trade unions.

The programme also helped trade unionists improve capacity in negotiating, signing and supervising collective agreements on labour safety and hygiene, and settling disputes.

After five years, the three provinces’ trade unions admitted 30,500 members, set up 751 grassroots branches, and signed 238 new collective agreements.

The quality of these agreements was also improved, focusing on major issues such as salaries, working time, leave, welfare, bonuses and insurance.

The programme with financial support from the Danish International Development Cooperation Agency (DANIDA), aims to assist the Vietnamese Government, trade unions and employers to improve competitiveness in the business sector./.

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S. Africans in Vietnam to counter rhino horn trade

South African officials were in Vietnam Wednesday to discuss ways of curbing the illegal trade in rhinoceros horns used in traditional Asian medicine, a conservation group said.

The South Africans are involved in enforcement against the rhino trade and were to meet their Vietnamese counterparts, said Traffic, the British-based global wildlife trade monitoring network, which organized the trip.

The two nations aim to increase collaborative law enforcement, it said.

"Vietnam has been increasingly implicated as a main driver of the illegal rhino horn trade in Asia, and a major trade route has emerged connecting illegally killed rhinos in South Africa with consumers in Vietnam," Traffic said in a press release.

While Asian rhinos have likely been eliminated in Vietnam, partly because of poaching for their horns, there are still important wild rhino populations in Africa, especially South Africa, Traffic said.

"It's vitally important to scale up Africa's law enforcement efforts and link with Asia in the fight to save the world's rhinos", Tom Milliken, regional director for Traffic in East and Southern Africa, said in the statement.

"We'll only win this war if both sides align against the criminal syndicates behind this trade."

Vietnamese media reported earlier this year that police seized about 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of ivory near the border with China, after recovering hundreds of kilograms last year. Much of it was tusks illegally imported from Kenya.

There is a booming black market in African ivory linked to Asian crime syndicates, experts and delegates said early this year at a meeting in Doha of the UN-backed Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Traffic says rhino horns are sold in Vietnamese traditional medicine shops, hospitals and online. Elsewhere in Asia the horns are also believed to cure a range of ailments, the group said.

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VN, RoK promote cooperation in trade unions

Trade unions representatives of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) have committed to the promotion of ties and exchange visits of high-level delegations and information of mutual concern.

During their talks in Hanoi on September 7, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) Nguyen Hoa Binh and Vice President of the Federation of Korea Trade Unions (FKTU) Kim Ju Young agreed to help grassroots trade unions to set up and increase friendship and cooperation based on each locality’s situation and in accordance with the laws of both countries.

The two countries’ trade unions will jointly hold symposiums and share experiences in personnel training, they said.

Vice Chairman Binh stressed the VGCL will give top priority to the protection of legitimate rights of labourers, including improvement of negotiation skills and the building of healthy, sustainable labour relations of trade unions officials.

While in Vietnam, the FKTU delegation led by Vice President Kim Ju Young is scheduled to visit the labour federations in Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Ninh and Dong Nai provinces./.

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