This was stated in a report released at press briefing on June 19 held by the Vietnam Association of Leather Footwear Association (Lefaso) and Action Aid Vietnam, a non-governmental organisation operating in Vietnam.

The report was based on a survey of 21 Vietnamese leather and footwear enterprises conducted in the first half of May, nearly one month after the EC officially imposed its primary duties.

Ngo Van Hoai, an expert of the Vietnam Institute of Science, Labour and Technical Consultancy said most workers in the leather and footwear sector are women and each of worker them has to support 2 or 3 members of the family. Therefore, their unemployment will cause many social problems such as illiteracy and poverty.

The report was submitted to the EC hearing on the lawsuit in Brussels on June 2 together with a collective letter signed by more than 2,000 workers.

Meanwhile, EC Trade Counselor to Vietnam Felipe Palacios Sureda said the EC will consider all problems to minimise the impacts on Vietnamese leather and footwear workers before coming to a final conclusion.