Vietnam and Norway strengthen cooperation between Employers’ and Workers’ Organizations

The event brought together social partners from countries including Colombia, Ghana, Vietnam, and China to exchange experiences and evaluate the progress of the “Social Partners for Decent Work” (SPDW) program for the 2024–2025 period. Delegates also discussed priorities and orientations for the next phase of the program.

Plenary session at the Conference

In her opening remarks, Mrs. Tori N. Tveit, Director of International Cooperation at NHO, and Mrs. Liv Tørres, Head of International Affairs at LO, emphasized the vital role of social dialogue in addressing global challenges such as digital transformation of the labor market, aging populations, climate change, and political instability. Mrs. Henriette Jevnaker Vice President of LO called for continued, meaningful dialogue between Employers’ organizations and Trade unions, grounded in mutual respect, cooperation, and trust, to promote sustainable development and protect workers’ rights.

Mr. Hoang Quang Phong, Vice President and representatives from VCCI – VGCL at the conference

Vietnam Shares Progress and Innovative Practices

During the conference, participating delegations presented progress reports on the project implementation. The Vietnamese delegation highlighted notable achievements, challenges faced during implementation, and practical lessons learned. In particular, Vietnam introduced a number of flexible, scalable initiatives that could be adapted in other national contexts.

Key themes included effective wage policy implementation, promoting gender equality at the workplace, building trust among social partners, improving collective bargaining mechanisms, and enhancing social dialogue at national, sectoral, and enterprise levels.

Mrs. Vi Thi Hong Minh Deputy Director of BEA-VCCI presented the Project highlights at the conference

Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation

At the discussion session VCCI and NHO exchange views on recent cooperation efforts between Vietnamese and Norwegian partners particularly in vocational training and labor relations and to explore opportunities for future collaboration.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continuing effective cooperation, implementing agreed initiatives, and welcomed further technical support and knowledge-sharing from NHO and LO in the upcoming period.

Discussion session VCCI and NHO on the next phase

This program forms part of broader efforts to strengthen the capacity of employers’ and workers’ organizations in Vietnam, with the ultimate goal of fostering harmonious, stable, and progressive labor relations. These efforts are seen as essential to promoting decent work and supporting Vietnam’s deeper integration into the global economy.

BH