BÌNH DƯƠNG — The vice chairman of Bình Dương Province People’s Committee has urged agencies to raise awareness about labour laws among employers and labourers in a bid to settle collective labour disputes and strikes in the province, home to many industrial and export processing zones.

Đặng Minh Hưng, who is also head of the steering committee for collective labour disputes and strikes, said the move would protect the interests of both enterprises and labourers.

Speaking at a conference held yesterday in the province, Hưng urged agencies to deal with the issue at the grassroots level.

“A task force should be set up to monitor developments at enterprises,” he said.

More dialogues between enterprises and labourers should be held to settle disputes when they arise and to prevent them from happening again, he added.

Hưng said that enterprises and workers had contributed greatly to the province’s socio-economic development.

“The province has put settlement of collective labour disputes and strikes at the province’s top agenda this year,” he said.

In 2017, although settlement of collective labour disputes and strikes in Bình Dương Province achieved positive results, more serious measures are needed.

Last year, the province had 63 collective labour disputes and strikes in 57 enterprises involving 26,592 workers, according to the committee.

The major cause of the problems originated from the fact that the rights and interests of employees were not ensured by enterprises.

Most enterprises did not comply with labour laws about salary and social insurance, and allowances for employees, and offered poor working conditions, which resulted in labour conflicts.

Speakers said that timely and appropriate measures should be taken to deal with the problems.  — VNS