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Lao unions hold international meeting
04 June 2008
On 12-13 May 2008, the Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU) and Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA hosted the first ever LFTU International Solidarity, Cooperation and Coordination Meeting.
Opening session with Dr Sharan KC, APHEDA, and Mr Vongphet Xaykeuyachongtoua, LFTU
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Lao Federation of Trade Unions
International Solidarity, Cooperation and Coordination Meeting
12-13 May, 2008, Vientiane, Lao PDR
On 12-13 May 2008, the Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU) and Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA hosted the first ever LFTU International Solidarity, Cooperation and Coordination Meeting. The event was the culmination of two years' planning and extensive input from all levels of the LFTU, APHEDA and Building and Wood Workers International (BWI). It involved 19 participants from international trade unions and provided a forum for the LFTU to present to them its structure, aims, challenges and activities past, present and future. The countries represented by national trade union federations were Australia, Vietnam, China, and Norway, with representatives from the ILO, and global union federations - UNI (Union Network International), PSI (Public Services International), BWI. JILAF (Japan International Labour Foundation) also took part.
The meeting was filmed for local TV and received extensive coverage in the English and Lao newspapers, as it marked the first meeting of its kind for the Lao trade union movement and the beginning of increased cooperation and solidarity in international trade unionism.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the central LFTU and the Vientiane Capital Branch Union, including the president, vice-president and heads of each department and division. Each department presented their structure and responsibility, the ways in which they saw their departments moving forward and how each department could benefit from international cooperation.
The LFTU has 113,000 members and is an affiliate of the World Federation of Trade Unions.
The meeting yielded tremendous results with the LFTU engaging internationally as never before, and the international participants pledging to increase support and engagement with the LFTU.
For the Lao government and unions, a key challenge is to develop the skills of the labour force. Hundreds of thousands of Lao workers work in Thailand in unskilled and poorly paid jobs, not generating large remittances. In turn, hundreds of thousands of skilled workers come to Laos from Vietnam and other countries to work in a variety of sectors, including construction; along with a small number of very well paid technical advisers mainly from advanced capitalist countries. The Vietnamese unions are providing USD$400,000 for LFTU to build their own technical and vocational training college in Vientiane to facilitate the training of Lao workers.
As part of the meeting's activities, all participants were requested to discuss how the international community and the LFTU could increase their cooperation to benefit the workers of Lao PDR. Following these discussions, different project support areas were proposed for the union solidarity organisations. These included:
- Support to develop information technology, and an IT training centre;
- Internet, website and media assistance, including for the newspaper, radio and television shows of LFTU;
- Programs educating and supporting migrant workers;
- Programs on "green jobs", and environmentally sustainable agro-forestry;
- Training of Trainers;
- Education for workers on HIV and sexual health;
- Promotion of occupational health and safety;
- Education in English language skills to link into international trade union discussions;
- Support for a new LFTU Labour Institute which will provide training and research;
- Social dialogue and democratization;
- How to negotiate collective bargaining agreements; and
- Publishing guidebooks on Lao Trade Union and Labour Law.
This meeting has provided rejuvenation for the international and local focus and direction for the future of the LFTU. The meeting will help the LFTU improve its ability to advocate and lobby for the rights of Lao workers and learn from the experiences and knowledge of trade unions throughout the world.
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Article written by Adam Kaminski, Australian Youth Ambassador in the Lao office of Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA.
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