The Vietnam Business Links Initiative, which encourages companies to
set up CSR projects on various issues and has so far covered 60 per
cent of the country’s footwear and leather factories, is now to expand
into the larger textile and garment sectors.
Progress in the footwear industry was celebrated at a reception in
Hanoi, where tribute was paid by Robert Davies, chief executive of the
International Business Links Initiative (IBLF), which formed the
Vietnam initiative in partnership with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce.
The IBLF has organized programmes in Vietnam for 11 years,
concentrating on health, road safety, education, transparency and the
development of non-governmental organizations.
Davies observed that, by taking a strategic partnership approach,
greater impact had been made on the whole footwear sector, and that the
programme was widely supported by stakeholders. The focus had been on
social standards in the industry. Davies said: ‘It demonstrates that
global business linkages do not have to be a race to the bottom, but a
foundation for responsible and export-led economic development.’
Nguyen Thi Tong, general secretary of the Vietnam Leather and Footwear
Association, said: ‘Employers have now learnt through the initiative
that improvements in occupational health and safety mean employees stay
longer and are more motivated. It has greatly improved our quality.’
Ho Thanh Man, general director of An Giang Shoes, in Ho Chi Minh City,
said: ‘Workers now feel more responsible for their results and care
about quality. They realize that management now have a better attitude
to their working conditions and as a result the productivity is more
stable.’
Extending the initiative to the Vietnam textile and garment industry will embrace more than a million workers.
