Danida Supports Establishment of the Employer’s Council in Lam Dong Province

Through new forms of cooperation between different business actors Lam Dong Province in Vietnam, supported by Danish aid, is now launching an Employer’s Council, which will serve as a forum where actors can meet and solve issues on labour disputes and workers health.
As the business sector is growing rapidly and the positive effects and opportunities for the Vietnamese and international societies are increasing, the business community faces new challenges regarding labour standards.
Vietnam is currently experiencing an increasing number of problems concerning Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and labour disputes.
There is a need for effective dialogue between the involved actors to solve these issues. Direct dialogue is, however, made difficult as the largest business association in Vietnam, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) is not present in every province.
With the support of the Business Sector Programme (BSPS) funded by Danida, the Employer’s Council in Lam Dong has been established to meet these needs. Building on a tripartite structure, the Council creates a forum, where representatives from the Local Department of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs (DOLISA) and the Local Trade Union can discuss and solve issues of concerns
The Employer’s Council is an outcome of cooperation between different Lam Dong Business Associations, employer communities, the trade union as well as local authorities in Lam Dong and should represent the employers on issues such as labour disputes, labour standards and social dialog.
The Vice Chairman of Lam Dong People’s Committee, Mr. Tran Quang Thai, and the Ambassador of Denmark, Mr. Peter Lysholt Hansen, attended the launching ceremony of the Employers Council and were pleased to congratulate the Council with the launching and expressed their hopes and beliefs for its effective operations in the future.
The launching of the Employer’s Councils is important, as sound labour relations are essential for the continuing growth of the business sector in Lam Dong and the rest of Vietnam. Another Employers’ Council has been launched in Khanh Hoa and yet another one is to be launched in Nghe An in the near future.
Danish support to the VCCI aims to build capacity of employers’ representative bodies at the provincial level, and strengthen their capacities in influencing employers in terms of labour standards. Furthermore, the VCCI seeks to increase the understanding, that improved working conditions will increase the productivity and profitability of enterprises, thus create rapid and sustainable social and economic development for the provinces.