Trade union’s stronger engagement in protecting migrant and guestworkers’ rights and interests was sought during a conference held inHanoi on November 28.

Representatives from localtrade unions, labour export agencies and organisations together reviewedthe outcomes and shortcomings of labour export activities of Vietnamover the past years.

They proposed enhancing thecoordination between trade unions and relevant organisations in andoutside the country in assisting and protecting contracted Vietnameseworkers abroad.

A pilot programme should beconducted with Malaysia , they proposed, stressing the need to speedup the process to sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation inprotecting migrant workers with the Malaysian Trade Union Congress.

During event, jointly held by the Vietnam General Confederation ofLabour (VGCL) and the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI),the participants also pointed out that the trade unions should continuepopularising legal regulations related to guest labourers.

The unions should collaborate closely with State agencies and theVietnam Association of Manpower Supply in monitoring and inspecting theexecution of laws among enterprises exporting workers, they said.

Labour export is defined by the Party and State as a long-termimportant strategy serving the country’s national construction andinternational cooperation.

The VGCL always seesVietnamese guest workers an indispensable part of the country’sworkforce and gives much attention to protecting them.

According to the Overseas Workers Management Department under theMinistry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, in October 2014, 7,774Vietnamese were sent to work abroad. Taiwan ( China ) remained thelargest labour market, receiving 3,878 Vietnamese workers, followed byJapan with 1,784 workers.

In the first 10 monthsof this year, 91,143 Vietnamese workers went to work in other countries,exceeding the 2014 plan by 4.76 percent.-VNA