Since Vietnam became a member of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 1992, it has adopted several international labor standards and fine-tuned its labor market management mechanisms. In 2019, Vietnam ratified 3 ILO Conventions – Convention 88 on Employment Service, Convention 159 on Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment for Disabled Persons, and Convention 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining, which is one of the ILO’s 8 fundamental conventions.

International labor integration

Vietnam is committed to participating and implementing labor conventions during its international economic integration in order to create a legal foundation that harmonizes labor relations and increase its competitiveness, particularly when it participates in free trade agreements. Many ILO conventions stipulate that wages and working conditions must be based on the market mechanism and ensure transparency and fair competition between Vietnamese and foreign enterprises. Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung said: “Vietnam has ratified 24 ILO conventions including 6 out of 8 fundamental conventions. The Vietnamese National Assembly has adopted ILO Convention 98 on the right to organize and collective bargaining.”

Vietnam has localized international labor standards in its legal system by revising labor standards in the Labor Code. The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor is submitting for approval a project to reform trade union activities by taking into account international norms and experiences. This year, Vietnam will report on the implementation of 9 ILO Conventions including those on child labor and forced labor.

Positive international assessment

The international community has praised Vietnam’s international labor integration efforts, particularly its approval of ILO conventions and revisions to the Labor Code, which will help Vietnam improve working conditions, increase productivity, equally share prosperity, and ensure sustainable growth. ILO Deputy Director Deborah Greenfield said: “For me to congratulate you on the ratification of one of the ILO’s core conventions just a few months ago - Convention 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining as well as two other technical conventions. Vietnam has also made significant improvements in its draft Labor Code in line with the 1998 ILO declaration on fundamental principles and rights of works. Vietnam has shown its commitment to international labor standards in the context of global economy to resolution 6 on international integration, resolution 27 on wage policy reform, and resolution 28 on social security reform.”