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@anu.edu.au