ILO supports garment sector improvements
ILO supports garment sector improvements
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is working together with tripartite constituents in Laos to introduce improvements to the garment sector in the country.
A factory level intervention experience sharing workshop was held in Vientiane on Tuesday as part of a project to increase understanding on management, responsibility and labour regulations.
The participants included factory representatives, government officials from the labour and social welfare sector, the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) and delegations from concerned international organisations.
The workshop aimed to bring together representatives from factories that are participating in the project as well as from factories that may want to participate in the future.
Under the workshop, participants have discussed the importance of social dialogue in the workplace as a vehicle for workplace improvement and for increasing workers' wellbeing, against the background of high worker turnover rates and a labour shortage, which is a major problem for Laos' garment industry.
At the same time, the discussions identified lessons learned and room for improvement to help the project become more effective, especially the labour inspectors facilitating workplace improvement committees (WICs).
Currently the workplace inspectors are still in a learning process and need to build their confidence as factory advisers and trainers while some factory managers may be critical toward their services.
It is therefore important that the workshop identifies those areas where further improvements can be made.
There are currently 10 factories participating in this pilot initiative which assists factories in establishing WICs.
Labour inspectors trained by the project visit the factories to facilitate committee meetings and also conduct labour law guidance training on selected topics such as occupational safety and health, social security or minimum wage implementation.
While some factories are very engaged and seeming to benefit a lot from this initiative, progress in others has been slow and the factory management, although they did volunteer to participate, are now not showing much interest in the project any longer.
The project will work through awareness raising, capacity building, advice and mentoring the relevant national actors, espec ially the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, the Lao Federation of Trade Unions, LNCCI and the Association of Lao Garment Industries (ALGI).
The Lao garment industry is still suffering from a labour shortage and lacks skilled workers, said ALGI President, Dr Xaybandi th Rasphone.
Lao Labour currently supplies only 10 percent of the garment industry demand, he said.
To solve the issue, the association, in cooperation with the relevant sectors, is formulating the garment sector strategy and is trying to seek measures and mechanisms to encourage people working with the factories.
The association currently comprises 61 garment factories and more than 50 sub-contractors.
