Labnet: CONF. ANN: 2008 Vietnam Update : Labour in Vietnam

[labnet at lists.labourhistory.net]

[Cross-posted, with thanks, from H-Labor. AB]

From:    "Thuy Thu Pham" <thuy.pham at anu.edu.au>

*2008 Vietnam Update: Labour in Vietnam*
*6-7 November, Australian National University*

The Vietnam Update will be held at University House, Australian National
University on 6-7 November 2008. The 2008 Vietnam Update addresses the
topic of labour in Vietnam.

Vietnam is one of the world's fastest growing economies and has
undergone a remarkable transformation over the last two decades from a
poor, mostly agricultural country to a new centre of global industrial
production. However, for three years in a row, factories throughout the
country have been hit by waves of strikes. Complaints about low wages,
harsh conditions and the high cost of living have come to the fore in
labour disputes.
Industrial unrest has increased in 2008, a year of soaring inflation and
slowing growth. Below the surface, rarely manifested in the strikes, are
diverse concerns about inadequate social infrastructure for migrant
workers, the quality of the workforce, the representation of worker's
interests, the unregulated informal sector, and the social and cultural
costs of Vietnam's rapid metamorphosis into a globalised industrial
society.

The 2008 Vietnam Update takes up the timely issue of labour in Vietnam.
It will explore the theme of labour broadly, including Vietnam's
position in regional labour markets; everyday working conditions and
experiences; the socialist legacy in the globalised workplace; the
regulatory framework; the changing industrial relations system; the
politics of labour; and the internationalisation of labour standards. It
aims to understand a breadth of perspectives, including the views of
domestic and foreign company managers, labour activists, state
regulators and workers.

The Update will open with two papers on the key political and economic
developments in Vietnam over the last year. The remainder of the
conference will consist of presentations devoted to the conference
theme. The speakers are international authorities on labour in Vietnam
and they will present their original findings based on recent research.
Papers will be followed by questions and open discussion.

*Registration and Program*
For registration and details about the program, log onto to the website:
http://rspas.anu.edu.au/polsoc/Vietnam//2008/2008_conf.php 

For other information about the 2008 Vietnam Update please contact:

Ms Lyn Ning, Political and Social Change, RSPAS
Phone: 61 2 6125 4790
Email: psc_rspas at anu.edu.au 



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