Oxfam gives boost to safeguarding of workers’ rights

The Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU) and Oxfam in Laos on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on a project to promote social protection and labour rights for workers in the agri-food sector in Laos, with a focus on female workers in particular.
The project is funded by the Department of International Trade and Development Cooperation of Belgium’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs via Oxfam Solidarity, and runs from 2022-2026.

Representatives of the Lao Federation of Trade Unions and Oxfam display their signed Memorandum of Understanding.

It is being implemented in 160 villages of 46 districts in 17 provinces where the majority of workers are employed informally in the agri-food sector. Many of them have no social security support and face a high risk of labour rights violations, gender-based violence, and sexual harassment.
The MOU signing was witnessed by officials from government ministries, the International Labor Organisation (ILO), the Civil Society Provincial Administration Office, the Provincial Federation Trade Union, and the Lao Farmer Network.
Under the agreement, the government and Oxfam Solidarity will work together towards the overall goal of helping disadvantaged workers, especially women employed in the food sector in the 17 provinces, to ensure they have social security protection, job security, and fair and decent work.
The specific objectives are to establish a group of workers and build capacity for social protection that focuses on gender roles and labour rights. The project will promote campaigns on gender roles, division of labour between men and women, generational strength for women and children, and aim to develop gender equality in the community, family and workplace, to ensure that more women have fair and decent work.
Project activities include enabling and improving the quality and working conditions of formal and informal workers and helping them to gain access to the National Social Security Fund and improve occupational safety and health.
Other goals are to raise awareness among workers and their representatives and the capacity of civil society and other grassroots stakeholders on collective mechanisms for workers to share their problems and concerns and equip them to better realise their labour rights.
The  project is a partnership between Oxfam in Laos, the Lao Federation of Trade Unions, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, and Civil Society Organisations, namely the Informal Worker Advancement Associations, Community Association for Knowledge in Development, the Association to Support the Development of Peasant Societies, and the Lao Farmers’ Network. These entities will provide training, consultation, tripartite approaches, and technical support for the upholding of women’s rights, social protection, occupational safety and health, and labour rights.

By Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
 (Latest Update January 13, 2023)