Trade unions and RoK investors discuss labour issues

The dialogue, held by the Vietnamese General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), a national umbrella body for all trade unions, in coordination with the RoK’s Embassy and Chamber of Commerce and Industry, aimed to boost mutual understanding and seek a common voice in solving labour disputes at RoK-invested companies in Vietnam .

Addressing the event, VGCL President Dang Ngoc Tung said that Vietnam has become an attractive destination for foreign investors, including those from the RoK.

He attributed labour disputes in recent years in several FDI enterprises, including RoK-funded businesses, to the fact that both employees and employers lack mutual understanding, are ill-informed about labour regulations or violate Vietnamese labour laws, showing no concern for each other’s interests, and performing no social dialogues.

The RoK Ambassador to Vietnam , Im Hong Jae, said that dialogue between the Vietnamese trade union and RoK investors is necessary in the current context.

He expressed his wish that the Vietnamese trade unions would pay attention to and support RoK investors in order to build harmonious and healthy relations for the interests of both sides.

RoK now is the leading foreign investor in Vietnam , with almost 2,000 businesses investing a total of 15 billion USD in the country.

Many RoK businesses have put effort into building good relations between employees and employers, observing relevant laws and taking care to ensure good working and living conditions for their employees.

However, participants at the dialogue agreed that a number of businesses have violated labour laws and commitments, harming the legal interests of labourers. They stressed these are the main reasons for labour disputes in FDI businesses, with 27.7 percent of violations occurring in RoK-invested enterprises.

The VGCL answered RoK investors’ queries regarding State policies for foreign investors, and the manner in which the Labour Code’s regulations apply to employees in the workplace.

The VGCL also requested the RoK Embassy to remind RoK businesses to study and abide by Vietnamese laws, and assist relevant Vietnamese agencies in dealing firmly with any RoK investors found to be violating Vietnamese laws.