EU praises Vietnam’s implementation of labor commitment
(VOVWORLD) - Chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade Bernd Lange and Minister of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung discussed in Hanoi on Thursday pending issues and recommendations toward the approval of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement.
Minister Dung said: “Vietnam is seriously implementing its commitments on labor with the EU. After the National Assembly adopted Convention 98, the government has been actively pursuing its implementation. The National Assembly has spent dedicated time discussing the Labor Code on the principles of upholding workers’ rights to decide, agree and negotiate for themselves. Issues concerning extra working hours, retirement age, representative agencies of workers, and strikes are also mentioned in the draft law.”
Minister Dung said that this is the first time Vietnam has legalized issues concerning the establishment of representative agencies in enterprises. All Vietnamese citizens have the right to participate in the association and establish associations in enterprises.
The European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade is expected to vote on the EVFTA and EVIPA in January next year and the European Parliament will vote on the ratification of the agreements in February.