Vietnam sees reform opportunities, labour challenges in TPP

AFP, HANOI: After organising communist Vietnam’s first peaceful mass strike at a shoe factory, labour activist Do Thi Minh Hanh was arrested, beaten bloody by police, and jailed for four years.
Authoritarian Vietnam does not allow the millions of workers in its export-orientated factories, which are driving impressive economic growth, to form independent trade unions.
But this should change with the coming into force of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a deal that has been touted as a foundation for “21st century trade” by US President Barack Obama.
The TPP seeks to liberalise commerce in some 40 per cent of the global economy, and if ratified would oblige signatories—be they the US, Japan, Canada or Vietnam—to allow independent trade unions.
But activists like Hanh say the one-party state is a long way from concretely committing to that kind of change.
“Vietnam still wants to maintain its monopoly on trade unions,” said Hanh, who was released from prison in 2014 but lives under constant police surveillance.
Currently, all unions are part of the Vietnam Confederation of Labour, which is older than the ruling communist party.
Such official unions are “established to control workers, not to represent them,” activist Hoang Dung told AFP.
The lack of meaningful representation is counterproductive as it leads to more wildcat strikes, said labour activist Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh. “Workers demonstrate as they cannot negotiate,” she said.
Quynh is not optimistic about the TPP as “who can ensure that the trade union is really independent and will listen to workers’ concerns?”
The TPP contains a controversial investor-state dispute settlement  mechanism which allows companies to take governments to court if they feel their rights are violated.
But the deal has no equivalent enforcement mechanism to make sure member states live up to their commitments on labour or the environment.
Oxfam’s Andrew Wells-Dang notes that Vietnam has signed up for numerous rights and labour agreements in the past but failed to implement them. The TPP “could contribute to opening up space on labour issues... but what happens if it doesn’t?” he said.
The risk is the deal will simply “replace one set of (local) state owned actors with another set of international corporate actors,” and do little to benefit workers or farmers.
Vietnam, whose low-wage economy relies heavily on exports, is projected to see the biggest per centage boost to the economy of any country in the TPP—about 10 per cent by 2030, mostly thanks to textiles and apparel, according to World Bank figures.

Vietnam sees reform opportunities, labour challenges in TPP

AFP, HANOI: After organising communist Vietnams first peaceful mass strike at a shoe factory, labour activist Do Thi Minh Hanh was arrested, beaten bloody by police, and jailed for four years. Authoritarian Vietnam does not allow the millions of workers in its export-orientated factories, which are driving impressive economic growth, to form independent trade unions. But this should change with the coming into force of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a deal that has been touted as a foundation for 21st century trade by US President Barack Obama. The TPP seeks to liberalise commerce in some 40 per cent of the global economy, and if ratified would oblige signatoriesbe they the US, Japan, Canada or Vietnamto allow independent trade unions. But activists like Hanh say the one-party state is a long way from concretely committing to that kind of change. Vietnam still wants to maintain its monopoly on trade unions, said Hanh, who was released from prison in 2014 but lives under constant police surveillance. Currently, all unions are part of the Vietnam Confederation of Labour, which is older than the ruling communist party. Such official unions are established to control workers, not to represent them, activist Hoang Dung told AFP. The lack of meaningful representation is counterproductive as it leads to more wildcat strikes, said labour activist Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh. Workers demonstrate as they cannot negotiate, she said. Quynh is not optimistic about the TPP as who can ensure that the trade union is really independent and will listen to workers concerns? The TPP contains a controversial investor-state dispute settlement mechanism which allows companies to take governments to court if they feel their rights are violated. But the deal has no equivalent enforcement mechanism to make sure member states live up to their commitments on labour or the environment. Oxfams Andrew Wells-Dang notes that Vietnam has signed up for numerous rights and labour agreements in the past but failed to implement them. The TPP could contribute to opening up space on labour issues... but what happens if it doesnt? he said. The risk is the deal will simply replace one set of (local) state owned actors with another set of international corporate actors, and do little to benefit workers or farmers. Vietnam, whose low-wage economy relies heavily on exports, is projected to see the biggest per centage boost to the economy of any country in the TPPabout 10 per cent by 2030, mostly thanks to textiles and apparel, according to World Bank figures.