As Better Work Viet Nam reflects on a legacy of collaboration with social partners in the garment industry, we consider key milestones and look to the future.
In 2009, Viet Nam was emerging as a key player in the global garment industry, with the sector contributing significantly to the country’s economic growth and providing jobs for more than two million people, predominantly young women from rural areas. Against the backdrop of Viet Nam’s transition from a centrally planned to a market economy and its entry into the World Trade Organization in 2007, the garment sector became the nation’s top export earner. However, this rapid growth came with challenges, such as increased competition, pressure to lower costs, and the risk of worker exploitation.
Viet Nam’s Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), along with the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), sought collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) to establish a Better Work Programme. Better Work’s expertise – already well established in neighbouring Cambodia – was brought to the country to help align national laws with international standards. Since then, Better Work Viet Nam (BWV), enabled by its development partners, has worked with national stakeholders to improve labour conditions and competitiveness in the apparel and footwear industries.
On the horizon
As Better Work Viet Nam marks 15 years of innovation, its valuable partnerships with workers, government, and businesses continue to improve workplaces, livelihoods and lives in this crucial industry. Through its multi-tiered engagement – working at the enterprise, national and global levels – Better Work Viet Nam has supported the industry through global crises, policy change, and the introduction of new technologies. By building capacity of tripartite partners and engaging with other ILO projects, the programme has also created spillover effects to other sectors of the economy, such as electronics.
The garment industry is fiercely competitive. Sustaining its trajectory of growing market share and higher productivity will require the industry to maintain a continued focus on the core elements of compliance, while also adapting to emerging challenges of environmental sustainability, digital transformation, and automation. With its multilayered approach, Better Work Viet Nam will continue to advocate for and strengthen stakeholders’ capacity to manage change, ensuring that labour standards keep pace with economic growth and creating a more resilient and competitive industry.