Viet Nam Human Rights
Enhancing labour exports in 2015
10/3/15
More than 100,000
Vietnamese workers went abroad to work last year, doubling the yearly target by
the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs.
In 2014, due to
the prolonged economic crisis, the demand for foreign guest workers in many
countries was low, this led to fierce competition among labour-export countries.
Although the world's economy still faced many difficulties, the number of
Vietnamese guest workers working abroad increased in a big way, particularly to
Japan and Taiwan (China). Vietnamese guest workers
have improved their skills considerably - and their knowledge of foreign
languages and discipline. In addition, the Government has made some adjustments
in policies to enable more guest workers go abroad.
Vietnam also faced some problems with guest workers. Many
labour disciplinary violations were reported, particularly in potential labour
markets. For example, some workers breached their contracts or refused to come
home after their contracts ended.
Despite all those problems, statistics
from the Overseas Labour Management Department show that in 2014, overseas
Vietnamese workers increased in major markets: 62,000 workers in Chinese
Taiwan, 20,000 workers in Japan,
4 thousand workers in Saudi Arabia,
and 1 thousand workers in Qatar.
Chinese Taiwan
recruited 62,000 Vietnamese workers to become the biggest employer of
Vietnamese workers in 2014. It was the best year in 14 years. Taiwan is a
close and friendly market for Vietnamese guest workers. Taiwan will remain Vietnam’s top labor market in 2015
because its economic and employment policies have been stable since 2011. Tong
Hai Nam, Deputy Director of
the Overseas Labor Management Department, said “In 2015 Taiwan will
continue to be the biggest importer of Vietnamese workers. Vietnam has
focused on recruitment and training to improve the quality of workers.”
With a highly
skilled labour force market, Viet Nam
is leading the markets of Japan
and some European countries. Germany
and Japan
currently receive applications for the positions of hospital orderlies and
nurses. Workers for these markets are selected carefully, and it takes much
more time than it does for other markets.
Vietnam has set a target to export 90,000 guest workers in
2015. We should focus on traditional markets. In late 2015, when the ASEAN
Economic Community is established, all ASEAN citizens specialised in eight
occupations, namely accounting, architecture, dentistry, medical work,
engineering, nursing, logistics and hospitality, will be freely to work in
whatever ASEAN nation they want. Of course, people with expertise and academic
achievements as well as good English will be the first selection choice.
In order to fulfill labor export
contracts in 2015 and later, improving the quality of overseas workers is also
a key task. Vietnam
is paying particular attention to improving the quality of workers. Tong Hai Nam, Deputy Director of the Overseas Labor
Management Department, said a limited number of high-quality workers were
sent to the Republic
of Korea in the past.
Over the past 2 years, the Overseas Labor Management Department signed two
cooperative agreements with Japan
and Germany
to recruit, train, and send nursing assistants to work there. Minister of
Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen said “The
government has approved our plan to reform vocational training to access
advanced technology and improve the quality of vocational teachers. This year
we will benefit from 34 ASEAN-standard vocational training programs and will
send teachers to train abroad. About 500 teachers and 45 managers of vocational
training centers have been trained abroad.”
Vietnam will promote the image of Vietnamese guest workers
internationally. Minister Chuyen added that “Workers will learn basic facts
about the local country, people, customs, traditions, and work regulations.
About 70 companies are providing basic training courses. The Ministry will
issue specific regulations for training companies to ensure the quality of
overseas Vietnamese workers.”
Vietnam has surveyed new markets, which have better working conditions and higher salaries, in Africa and the Middle East. Vietnam will sign contracts with Angola and Saudi Arabia. With the formation of the ASEAN community, Vietnam expects to increase workers abroad. ASEAN’s agreement on equivalent skills recognition will allow free movement of accountants, architects, dentists, doctors, engineers, nurses, drivers, and tourist staff.
Vietnam has surveyed new markets, which have better working conditions and higher salaries, in Africa and the Middle East. Vietnam will sign contracts with Angola and Saudi Arabia. With the formation of the ASEAN community, Vietnam expects to increase workers abroad. ASEAN’s agreement on equivalent skills recognition will allow free movement of accountants, architects, dentists, doctors, engineers, nurses, drivers, and tourist staff.
However, we are still facing
difficulties due to the global economic depression that is still underway and
has deepened in the international labour market. In addition, there was severe
competition between labour export countries in the South East and South Asian
regions such as the Philippines,
Indonesia, Myanmar, Bangladesh
and Sri Lanka.
The problems lay mainly in the fact that the quality of the Vietnamese labour
force hasn't met the required demands, especially in the areas of foreign
language and discipline. It will be a great challenge for Viet Nam to
compete with other labour-exporting countries.
Moreover, service companies should
actively look for and exploit new markets by seeking new partners for supply
contracts. In new markets, the department and companies will ask Vietnamese
embassies or foreign affairs representatives to verify an employer's legal
status and working conditions.
It is a good opportunity for Vietnamese
workers to work in countries that have a highly developed healthcare field with
higer wages. However, the development of highly skilled workers still depends
on the individual's capacity for learning foreign languages./.
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All comments [ 10 ]
In my opinion, there are several reasons for the surge of Vietnamese guest workers in Taiwan in 2014. Firstly, in late 2011, Taiwan adopted a policy to promote economic development and create employment.
Actually, the selection process for guest workers should be considered as the first and key preparation step.
The quality of guest workers based on their health conditions, skills and working behaviours meets the requirements of employers in migrant-receiving countries.
For the Japanese market, its demand for guest workers is high, particularly for technical intern trainees.
Another important task during pre-departure process is to help guest workers define proper goals for their departure.
Governments should also establish referrals networks with NGOs and trade unions that are sometimes better placed to provide shelter, counselling and legal assistance to migrants who have been exploited.
For the establishment of the labor export organization, Government must have stricter rules to limit the ones who do not qualify, do not function properly.
Priority will be placed on sending skilled and trained workers to work abroad in 2014. As for the labour market, we will continue to consolidate and maintain Taiwan and Japan's markets and expect to see some signs of recovery in the Middle Eastern market.
The local authorities having headquarters of the labor export enterprises have to strengthen inspection and supervising activities and situations of those labor export enterprises.
Viet Nam should focus on training management-oriented education and training reform.
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