ILO PRESENCE IN VIETNAM AND EMBASSY WORKING ON COOPERATION WITH AFL-CIO

UNCLAS HANOI 000930 SIPDIS FROM R.SCHIFFER FOR EAP/BCLTV E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB VM LABOR SUBJECT: ILO PRESENCE IN VIETNAM AND EMBASSY WORKING ON COOPERATION WITH AFL-CIO REF: HANOI #0648 ¶1. THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION (ILO) IS PRESENTLY WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE MINISTRY OF LABOR (MOLISA) AND THE VIETNAMESE GENERAL CONFEDERATION OF LABOR (VGCL) ON A NUMBER OF PROJECTS WHICH INCLUDE ESTABLISHING A WORKERS COMPENSATION AND SOCIAL SECURITY PROGRAM; A REVIEW OF UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 00930 041025Z MONITORING OF WORKER STANDARDS IN THE WORKPLACE; OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY; PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH TRAINING OF INSPECTORS; PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE RELATING TO PROVIDING THE CONFEDERATION OF LABOR TRAINING IN NEGOTIATING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS; REVIEW OF OVERTIME PROCEDURES; AND A NUMBER OF OTHER ISSUES NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS THE ILO PROJECT TOGETHER WITH UNDP TO IMPLEMENT VIETNAM'S LABOR LAW. THE ILO NOW MAINTAINS AN OFFICE HERE WITH THREE EXPERTS. THIS SUMMER THE ILO PLANS TO UPGRADE ITS PRESENCE TO THAT OF A 'RESIDENT OFFICE'.' ¶2. MADAME CU THI HAU, CHAIRWOMAN OF VGCL MADE A TOUR OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 12-18. WITH ROBERT SCHIFFER SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE AMBASSADOR SHE MET WITH BARBARA SHAILOR, DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT AND PHIL FISHMAN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT OF THE AFL-CIO. SHE ALSO MET WITH CONGRESSMAN GEORGE MILLER AND CONGRESSMAN SANDER LEVIN ON LABOR MATTERS. SHE THEN WENT TO NEW YORK TO MEET WITH THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE HOSPITAL WORKERS UNION 1199-SEIU, AFL-CIO. IN THOSE MEETINGS AFL-CIO REPRESENTATIVES DISCUSSED THE PROVISION OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO VIETNAM THROUGH THE ILO. ¶3. IN APRIL, VIETNAM'S MOLISA ORGANIZED A TWO DAY SEMINAR ON CHILD LABOR 'ENTITLED NATIONAL TRIPARTITE SEMINAR ON ILO CONVENTIONS 138 AND 182 ON CHILD LABOR. THE SEMINAR WHICH DREW THE PARTICIPATION OF 30 DELEGATES FROM VARIOUS GOVERNMENT OFFICES, ILO. AND UNICEF FORMED PART OF A PROJECT ON ADDRESSING LABOR MANAGEMENT ISSUES IN ORDER TO FACILITATE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 00930 041025Z EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE LABOR LAW IN VIETNAM. MOLISA VICE MINISTER DR. LE DUY DONG WAS QUOTED BY JOURNALIST, 'THE SEMINAR IS "THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS THE POSSIBILITY OF THE RATIFICATION'S OF THE CONVENTIONS BY VIETNAM." EMBASSY SUBSEQUENTLY CONTACTED MOLISA FOR FURTHER DETAIL ON WHETHER AND WHEN VIETNAM MIGHT RATIFY THE TWO CONVENTIONS. MOLISA MUST MAKE A PROPOSAL TO THE PRESIDENT OF VIETNAM REGARDING RATIFICATION. MOLISA IS STUDYING THE MERITS OF DONG SO. HOWEVER, THEY INDICATED THAT THE SEMINAR WAS AN INDICATION OF THE SERIOUSNESS WITH WHICH THEY ARE STUDYING THE ISSUES. ¶4. IN A SEPARATE MEETING MR. SCHIFFER MET WITH OWEN HERRNSTADT VICE PRESIDENT FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS OF THE MACHINISTS UNION AFL-CIO TO DISCUSS A JOINT AFL-CIO AND ILO PROGRAM. HERRNSTADT WHO HAS HAD AN IMPORTANT ROLE ON THE OPIC MONITORING TRIPS TO VIETNAM AND WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE INTERNATIONAL OFFICE OF THE AFL-CIO STATED BECAUSE OF ISSUES RELATING TO FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION THE AFL-CIO WOULD SUPPORT SOME TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR VIETNAM BUT WOULD NOT WANT THIS ASSISTANCE TO GO DIRECTLY THROUGH VGCL SINCE IT IS THE ONLY RECOGNIZED UNION IN VIETNAM . HE IS AWARE THERE HAVE BEEN MANY INDEPENDENT INFORMAL ASSOCIATIONS FORMING IN VIETNAM RELATED TO REPRESENTING WORKERS BUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT FORMALLY RECOGNIZED THESE ASSOCIATIONS AS OFFICIAL LABOR ORGANIZATIONS.. ¶5. THE US EMBASSY IS PRESENTLY WORKING WITH THE ILO ON A PROPOSAL TO SEND TO THE AFL-CIO . THE AFL-CIO HAS PARTICIPATED IN TWO OPIC TRIPS RELATING TO WORKER RIGHTS ISSUES AND BOTH MR. FISHMAN AND MR. HERRNSTADT HAVE SEPARATELY VISITED VIETNAM SINCE THEN TO REVIEW WORKER UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HANOI 00930 041025Z RIGHTS ISSUES; MR HERRNSDADT PLANS TO VISIT VIETNAM IN EARLY OCTOBER FOR A FACT FINDING TRIP. HARTER UNCLASSIFIED