ACTION PLAN Improving the protection of precarious workers in Viet Nam BUI PHUONG CHI - VGCL

Organization: Vietnam General Confederation of Labor - VGCL Project Title : Improving the protection of precarious workers Tentative Duration : 1 year Starting Date : 01 October 2010 Geographical Coverage : Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city Project Language : English Executing Organization/Unit : VGCL Preparation date : 13 August 2010 (first draft) Author : Bui Phuong Chi

BACK GROUND & JUSTIFICATION Employment and living standards of “precarious workers” – Employing and labor contract termination are conducted in illegal way. Normally, precarious workers just have oral labor contracts. Many of them only sign short-term or seasonal instead of long-term or indefinite labor contracts.

BACK GROUND & JUSTIFICATION Normally, the wages of workers is a litte bit higher than the minimum wages set by the government. The wages increase do not level up to the price consumption index... Therefore, precarious workers still face numerous difficulties.

BACK GROUND & JUSTIFICATION Social security is not ensured: most of precarious workers are not paid social insurance; or if any, the pay rate is just based on the minimum wages not the real pay of workers. Most of precarious workers are not covered by the social insurance scheme. Housing is also one of challenges facing precarious workers, especially the migrant workers. The number of precarious workers joining unions is lower than the other forms at the enterprises. Particularly, most of precarious workers haven’t joined unions.

Target Group The target group: Workers in industrial zones in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh Cities Partners involved: VGCL, ILO Vietnam, Union of Industrial Zones in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh Cities Setting up a Project Steering Committee to coordinate the partners and manage the activities of the project.

Development Objectives This work plan will contribute to achieving: - Provide better legal protection for precarious workers - Ensure their rights and interests repected

Immediate Objectives End of the project: The legal frame-work of not using the precarious workers at enterprises will be established. Wages and working conditions of precarious workers will be equal to indefinite workers Skills of bargaining and signing the CBA of trade unionists in the Industrial Zones of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh Cities will be improved. 100% of unionized enterprises will sign better CBA ensuring rights and interests of precarious workers

Key Outputs/Direct Results For immediate objective 1: 100% of workers at the Industrial Zones will be trained about the new legal framework For immediate objective 2: - Precarious workers will enjoy the same payroll and other benefits such as maternity leave, sick leave, overtime pay, social insurance pay,.. with indefinite workers For immediate objective 3: - 100% of trade unionists in the Industrial Zones will join the skills training courses

Activities Unionize the enterprises and recruit workers Organize the trainings for trade unionists Submit to the government the recommendation of establishing the legal framework for better protection of precarious workers Educate workers through publications, seminars about their rights and interests Negotiate and sign better CBAs

Main inputs Human resources: myself with the cooperation of VGCL, ILO and VGCL affiliates Finance supported by VGCL and technical assistance from ILO

Monitoring / Reporting / Evaluation Procedures Prepare monthly work-plan Report every 6 months Self-evaluation every 3 months Independent evaluation at the end of the year and of the project cycle

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