Vietnam interest grows for multi-company collective bargaining agreements

“Positive results will gradually come forward, though in small, but progressive steps”, says Henk van Beers, negotiator for collective bargaining agreements at the trade union CNVvakmensen in the Netherlands. Henk van Beers is convinced and confident that change will be revealed, although after a period of time. Beginning of March, Henk van Beers travelled to Vietnam for a follow-up of the multi-company collective bargaining agreement (MC CBA)-projects in Ho Chi Minh City and in the Van Lam District, close to Hanoi.

In the Van Lam district, seven garment factories (workers and management) have been trained earlier on how to set up a social dialogue at regional and company level. These companies are interested in reaching a multi-company collective bargaining agreement, which will help develop and improve labour rights and conditions for all employees working in these factories as well as set a standard and good example for the garment industry in Vietnam. Henk van Beers provided training on bargaining-skills to the seven companies during his visit. The companies will continue their dialogue; and Henk van Beers hopes that a result on a multicompagnie collective bargaining agreement can be reached late 2019 early 2020. Henk van Beers, hope that the mc cba, will not only have the normative article’s in this agreement, but also a lot of so called non normative article. “This is the classicale working field, of sociale Dialogue of Trade unions and employers, it would be great, if we could achieve improvements on these issues” Henk van Beers stated. For the workers and stakeholders.

Furthermore, Henk van Beers paid a visit to the National Coordinator for CNV Internationaal, Yen Nguyen, Ho Chi Minh City area, together with local representatives from the Fair Wear Foundation to identify two new districts. Thu Duc and Tan Binh district were identified as new Vietnam-areas to take next steps - starting in July 2019 - for the MC CBA-project, in cooperation with Fair Wear Foundation.