Update: supporting worker participation in Vietnam

TUC Aid has been supporting the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) programme in Vietnam to give workers a voice at the furniture factories supplying British companies to tackle health and safety and low wages which are common.

The Ethical Trading Initiative brings together the TUC and international unions with companies and NGOs to promote respect for workers rights in global supply chains.  Companies joining ETI agree to a ‘base code’ of nine core labour rights which include freedom of association, a living wage and safe working conditions.  However, the audits companies use to establish whether these rights are being respected rarely reveal whether workers are able to have a say in their pay and conditions and may not pick up on abuses taking place. 

The programme will conduct research at a number of factories to identify the barriers to worker-management dialogue and health and safety faced by workers and management in these factories. 

The programme will also seek to engage key local stakeholders across government and industry and trade unions affiliated to the Global Union Federation Building Wood Workers International.

The factory level research will be disseminated to this stakeholder group once complete for feedback and learning.  

See more about the programme on the Stronger Unions blog here