Vietnam, as ASEAN Chair in 2020, has joined hands with member nations to push employment recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung has said.

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung 

He made the statement while attending the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting held by Saudi Arabia on September 10.

The bloc built the ASEAN declaration on social work development, which prioritises social workers’ role in responding to formidable challenges like the coronavirus pandemic, Dung stressed.

He went on by mentioning the ASEAN Declaration on Human Resources Development for the Changing World of Work adopted at the 36th ASEAN Summit, adding it focuses on the enormous impacts of technology changes, aging population, climate change and disease on employment and jobs, and outlines sufficient activities to ensure that ASEAN workers are well prepared in the “changing world of work”.

The Vietnamese Government recently passed a 2.7 billion USD financial support package for workers and businesses affected by the pandemic, he said, adding his ministry is recommending the Government carry out more packages to help local firms to restore, maintain and develop production and business.

Dung was invited to the meeting as Vietnam is playing the role of the ASEAN Chair this year. The event drew the participation of G20 member countries and many international organisations like the ILO and the WB.

The meeting took place against the backdrop of unprecedented turmoil in global labour markets, with a decline in working hours equivalent to the loss of 400 million full-time jobs worldwide in the second quarter of 2020. Over 1.6 billion works in the informal economy, and youth, women and persons with disabilities have been among the worst hit.

Labour ministers adopted the “Realising Opportunities of the 21st Century for All” declaration, in which countries will work closely in response to the coronavirus outbreak to ensure that efforts to recover the economy will give priority to sustainable and inclusive growth in quality employment.