Workshops on Collective Bargaining in Vietnam
Labour relations are vital to every economy and even more to labour intensive economies of developing countries. Vietnam is one of these countries.
Unsettling labour disputes and frequent strikes jeopardize the process of development and even when they are sparked by an understandable desire to improve labour and employment conditions, they easily end up in just damaging them.
Collective bargaining done in the proper way – i.e. working towards solutions instead of victories - can help solve and prevent a lot of problems. Workers and companies have much more common interests than those interests that might keep them divided.
In August 2010, DECP in cooperation with its Vietnamese partners VCCI (Chamber of Commerce & Industry) and VWEC (Women Entrepreneurs Council), conducted two workshops to introduce collective bargaining in the Vietnamese provinces of Binh Duong and Hai Phong. The method used is based on thorough research at Harvard and years of AWVN experience in the Netherlands.
The response to the workshops showed that the method is in no way culture specific. The participants showed great interest and a strong desire to become more and better acquainted with it. DECP and its partners have set their minds to work out methods of cooperation to fulfil this desire effectively and efficiently.