HANOI, Vietnam – April 2, 2021

The “Landscape Analysis on Transport Safety in the Garment Sector in Vietnam” launched by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, the German Corporation for International Development) at a multi-sector stakeholder workshop in Hanoi, in partnership with AIP Foundation and Primark, as part of their Promoting Sustainability in Textile and Garment Industry in Asia (FABRIC) project.

Workers in the garment sector are not only at risk during working hours in the factories but also on their way to and from work. The research study was commissioned as transport safety is a topic that has long been ignored. In order to understand the current situation that workers in the garment sector face and identify the need for interventions, Primark, GIZ, and AIP Foundation collaborated to provide a first Analysis of Transport Safety in the Garment Sector in Vietnam. Fashion brand H&M also collaborated for a parallel study in Myanmar.

The stakeholder workshop served as the official platform to launch the Landscape Analysis on Transport Safety in the Garment Sector in Vietnam. The research study was undertaken by AIP Foundation and supported by GIZ FABRIC and Primark. At the workshop, Ms. Le Nguyen, AIP Foundation M&E Manager, presented a summary of findings and recommendations of the transport safety research study, in collaboration with Dr. Cuong from the Hanoi University of Public Health.

Ms. Le Nguyen shared, “Road fatalities are the third leading cause of death among Vietnamese workers. Many workers leave for work but never return home. Some people only care about how much profit workers bring to their company. More recently, there has been a positive change and people have started to care about the safety of workers in the workplace. However, they forgot about the safety of workers on their way to work. We are so pleased with the outcome of the workshop and the study. Representatives from the fashion industry are already expressing their thanks for the results of the research study that helped them to further open their eyes to the risks of road safety of workers in Vietnam and beyond.”

This workshop further served as an opportunity for discussions on the needs and potential next steps for multi-stakeholder collaborations to tackle transport and occupational health issues in the Vietnamese garment sector. This was facilitated by senior representatives from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, Social Affairs and the Ministry of Transport, Vietnam Textile & Apparel Association (VITAS), Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) and Better Work Vietnam. The stakeholders presented their perspectives on factory transport safety and participated in collaborative discussions on solutions.

In Vietnam, the conversation on road safety of garment sector workers is relatively new. Our workshop marked an important milestone in establishing multi-sectoral solutions for action. Decision-makers in the Government of Vietnam, fashion industry, labor unions, NGOs, and international counterparts now have access to evidence-driven findings and recommendations that equip them to take action. As a result, garment factory workers will be safer while providing for their families.