ASEAN ministers talk impacts of COVID-19 on labour, employment
Labour ministers from 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) had a video conference on May 14 to look into impacts of COVID-19 on labour and employment.
Vietnamese Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung speaks at the conference. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Labourministers from 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN) had a video conference on May 14 to look into impacts ofCOVID-19 on labour and employment.
At the meeting,Vietnamese Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung sharedVietnam’s experience in containing the pandemic as well as measures adopted bythe Vietnamese Government to promptly deal with difficulties caused by thedisease.
The Vietnamese Governmenthas approved a relief package worth 62 trillion VND (2.6 billion USD) to helpabout 20 million people, mostly labourers who have been rendered jobless by theepidemic, and affected businesses, he said.
Dung expressed his beliefthat with attention of high-ranking leaders and regional policy actions, ASEANwill soon overcome this difficult time, recover the labour market and build a cohesiveand responsive community.
He took the occasion tothank other ministers, delegation heads and the ASEAN Secretary General forbacking Vietnam’s initiative on building the ASEAN declaration on humanresources development for the changing world of work that will be submitted tothe 36th ASEAN Summit slated for June 2020.
Dung said he hopes thatthe declaration will create a significant cooperation foundation for ASEAN toimprove competitiveness of regional labourers.
The delegates spoke ofpolicies, programmes and social support packages exclusively for labourers,especially those regarding their wage, job, safety and health.
They issued the jointstatement of ASEAN labour ministers on response to the impact of COVID-19 onlabour and employment.
Apart from a meeting between ASEAN member countries, there was an openmeeting between them and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
The ASEAN ministers expressed their hope for further cooperation with the ILO in labour and employment in the time ahead to deal with challengescaused by the pandemic and other relevant issues./.
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Vietnamese Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung speaks at the conference. (Photo: VNA) 
