A seminar to discuss ways to promote sound labour relations for bettercompetitiveness of Vietnamese garment and footwear businesses opened inHanoi on August 25.

The event was jointly organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerceand Industry and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation(UNIDO).

During the event, delegates sharedmeasures to build sound labour relations in the workplace, such asholding positive dialogue among employers, employees and relevant sideslike trade unions and company partners, as well as establishing adialogue process to ensure its reliability and transparency.

Vu Huu Tuyen, Deputy Director of a project funded the United StatesAgency for International Development on supporting implementation oflabour laws and promotion of sound industrial relations in Vietnam, saidthat employers need to view labour relations and human resourcesmanagement from a strategic, instead of traditional angle.

Patrick Gilabert, Chief Representative of UNIDO in Vietnam, said thatbusinesses should raise awareness of their social responsibilitiesthrough environmentally friendly production, improvement in labourpractices and raising global competitiveness.

Theparticipants agreed that in order to ensure sound labour relations, bothbusiness and employees must abide by labour laws.

Businesses need to ensure favourable working conditions, build strongtrade unions, fully implement labour policy, build a progressive,collective labour agreement and hold regular dialogue between businessand employees./.