We work with unions and directly with workers to help realize their rights on the factory floor and find ways to boost their skills so that they can engage in productive discussions and negotiate with employers.
Better Work Viet Nam
In operation since July 2009, Better Work Viet Nam aims to improve the working conditions and competitiveness of Viet Nam's garment and footwear industry.
In operation since July 2009, Better Work Viet Nam aims to improve the working conditions and competitiveness of Viet Nam’s garment and footwear industry. Around 400 factories across the country actively participate in the programme with nearly 700,000 employees, of whom 78 per cent are women. The programme promotes labour standards and competitiveness at the workplace through training services and seminars as well as advisory and compliance assessments.
At the national level, Better Work Viet Nam collaborates with central tripartite partners, including the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), the Ministry of Labour, the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour. Together, Better Work Viet Nam and the tripartite partners work to promote labour law reforms that align Viet Nam with international labour standards and ILO Conventions. Such partnership is necessary for Viet Nam to fully participate in global supply chains in line with the terms of its existing free trade agreements. Better Work Viet Nam’s role in connecting global brands and retailers with social partners. This integrated approach ensures continuous improvement of working conditions.
Our partners in Viet Nam
Better Work Vietnam works closely with our parent organizations – the International Labour Organization and the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group.
We also work with different stakeholders on a national level. Our Project Advisory Committee (PAC) reflects our potential to gather different stakeholders and find solutions that bring improvements to all. The PAC provides strategic advice on the directions of the program, reviews progress on implementation, and serves as a platform for engagement among stakeholders on key industry issues through biannual meetings. In Vietnam, the PAC consists of representatives from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (VGCL).
Some our partners in improving working conditions in the garment industry and boost competitiveness of the sector are:
Workers & Unions
Factories and manufacturers
Factory enterprises are key partners in our efforts to create better conditions for garment workers in a way that also boosts business performance. We believe that effective cooperation and mutual trust between employers and their workers not only leads to better working conditions but also better results for business.
Click here to see the full list of factories participating in Better Work Vietnam.
Government
Better Work Vietnam has worked closely with the Vietnamese government since its inception, collaborating, along with the ILO, in strengthening the labour inspectorate, reforming laws and strengthening industrial relations and social protection systems that can have a spill-over effect beyond the garment export sector. Better Work Vietnam’s strategic priority in the coming years is to enhance the capacity of national stakeholders to assume a greater role in the delivery of its core services, as well as to provide practical tools and good practices from its experience for use in other enterprises and sectors.
Our model of social dialogue used in Better Work Vietnam factories has been presented to the government and later adopted nationally in the 2013 national labour code.
Brands and retailers
Our brands, retailers, and intermediaries are industry leaders in the movement to reimagine the global supply chain, where workers’ rights are realised and businesses gain a competitive advantage to grow.
Brands and retailers who are Better Work Vietnam partners commit to coordinate efforts in order to maximize impact, for example by reducing duplicate audits and by supporting improvement efforts of suppliers in a manner that is complementary and reinforces Better Work Vietnam’s assistance to factories.
We also engage with local and regional representatives of brands and vendors sourcing in Vietnam, leveraging strategic global partnerships for local impact in supplier factories, whilst supporting wider efforts to promote fair and responsible sourcing practices across the supply chain.
In its biannual brand and vendor forum, Better Work Vietnam brings together leading representatives from the buyer community to share experiences, discuss industry challenges and deepen support for factory improvement and supply chain transparency.
Better Work has also developed specialised training on labour standards for international brands, so they can better understand and apply the Better Work improvement approach in their supply chains.
Learn more about benefits for registered brands, retailers and intermediaries
The following brands sourcing from Vietnam factories are Better Work Vietnam partners:
Development partners
Our work is funded through a combination of private sector fees for our services and grants from donors. We work closely with development partners to understand specific interests and goals and help to advance these goals through Better Work’s efforts. Development partners are actively engaged in our programme and are key partners in the development of strategies to improve the garment sector supply chains.
