This was emphasized at a workshop on “Labor inspection for improved compliance with OSH laws and regulations”, which was jointly held by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Speaking at the workshop, Deputy Chief of the MOLISA Inspectorate Department Nguyen Tien Tung held all employers, employees, and management agencies responsible for violations of OSH laws and regulations.

Employers want to make bigger profits and they pay little or no attention to OSH, especially foreign employers who often abuse the favourable conditions Vietnam offers to foreign investors, he said.

He said workers’ lack of knowledge and their unprofessionalism, as well as the lack of cooperation between related authorities in inspecting and handling violations of OSH laws are also factors that affect compliance.

Tung proposed measures to solve the problems, focusing on raising workers’ and employers’ awareness of OSH and increasing the role of other stakeholders such as representatives of employers (the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry) and employees (the Trade Union).

According to an assessment of Vietnam labour inspection by E.J. Murtagh of the US Department of Labor, MOLISA does not have enough inspectors for the job. He proposed a reform of the labour inspection by training inspectors, promoting research, and developing inspection networks.

Doan Minh Hoa, an OSH expert, introduced the OSH laws and regulations in businesses as well as a model to improve working conditions.

She also presented the national programme to improve working conditions for the country’s sustainable development, which is aimed at reducing environmental pollution, preventing occupational accidents and diseases, improving workers’ health, and raising awareness of the OSH laws.

The programme also aims to increase the number of medium- and small-sized businesses complying with the OSH management system by 2,000 every year.

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