The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (VGCL) and the Asia Foundation in Vietnam held a workshop in Hanoi on July 19 to launch a project on protecting the legitimate rights of Vietnamese guest workers.

VGCL Vice Chairman Mai Duc Chinh said that from 2007, 80,000 to 90,000 Vietnamese workers are sent to work abroad every year. It is estimated that they send over USD 2 billion to their families each year.

Photo for illustration: vov.vn

However, guest workers, particularly unskilled and poor ones, are facing a lot of risks due to the lack of information on access to labor services overseas. Some of them are cheated by brokers or are abused by employers, while many others lack information on jobs at home and cannot use the skills they learn abroad to work in Vietnam.

As such, the project’s objectives are to intensify the protection of the rights of Vietnamese people who are working abroad, increase access to jobs for those returning, and improve the awareness of policy-makers and relevant parties of the challenges facing laborers.

Chinh emphasized the need to increase the knowledge of local trade union officials on laws and policies and on safe migration so they can better support laborers.

The VGCL and the Asia Foundation in Vietnam will coordinate with job introduction centers in Phu Tho, Thanh Hoa and Quang Ngai provinces to increase opportunities for those returning to find appropriate jobs, he added.

Source: VNA