COVID-19 Widens Existing Gender Inequalities in Vietnam

Women in Vietnam have been facing multiple inequalities in the labor market, even with the remarkably high labor market participation rate. A research brief by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Vietnam shows that 70.9% of Vietnam’s working-age women are in the labor force, while the global level is 47.2%. 

The research also indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities and created new gender gaps. Valentina Barucci, the Labor Economist for ILO Vietnam, says that before the COVID-19 pandemic, both women and men had relatively easy access to jobs. Still, the quality was, on average lower among women than men. Female workers are overrepresented in vulnerable employment, particularly in contributing to family work. Women earned 13.7% less than men and are underrepresented in decision-making jobs; they accounted for nearly half of the labor force but less than ¼ of overall management roles. The gap women face in job quality, and career development stems from the double burden they carry. They spent an average of 20.2 hours per week cleaning the house, washing clothes, and shopping for the family, whereas men spent only 10.7 hours. 

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, total working hours dropped significantly in the second quarter of 2020. Overall working hours did recover through the second half of the year, but women’s working hours recovered faster than men’s. “The women who worked long hours in the second half of 2020 possibly wanted to make up for the income losses in the second quarter,” says Barcucci. “Such additional hours made the double burden heavier to carry, as the time spent by women on household chores remained disproportionately high.

The research brief states that work equality in Vietnam can only be built on a shift in approach, from protecting women to providing equal opportunity to all workers, irrespective of their sex. A Labour Code that came into effect on the 1st January of 2021 opens opportunities to close gender gaps in employment. The Code introduces a reduction in the retirement age gap, which will gradually be implemented. In addition, female workers will no longer be excluded by law from certain occupations considered harmful for child-bearing and parenting functions. Rather, they will have a right to choose whether or not to engage in such occupations after being fully informed of the risks involved. Vietnam’s Socio-Economic Development Strategy for 2021-30 is expected to call for gender gaps to be reduced across several areas of citizens’ political, economic, and social lives. 

Identifying Counterfeit and Fake N95 Masks

Approximately 10 million fake 3M N95 masks have been distributed in at least five states, and federal, and state authorities are managing to seize and cease the counterfeit ring. The masks are designed to mimic 3M N95 masks, with details including raised marking and printed logos. As a response, 3M has issued a warning describing the model and lot numbers to look out for when purchasing masks. 

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has also released a guide on how to spot masks that are falsely claimed to be approved by the NIOSH. NIOSH-approved masks will have an official approval label on or within the packaging, and the filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) of the N95 masks should also have an abbreviated approval. 

The NIOSH Certified Equipment List (CEL) or the NIOSH Trusted-Source page can be used as a resource to verify and determine whether NIOSH has approved the respirator. The approved FFRs include N95, N99, N100, R95, R99, R100, P95, P99, and P100.  

Signs that a respirator may be counterfeit:

• No markings at all on the filtering facepiece respirator (FFR).

• No approval (TC) number on FFR or headband.

• No NIOSH markings.

• NIOSH spelled incorrectly.

• Presence of decorative fabric or other decorative add-ons (e.g., sequins).

• Claims of approval for children (NIOSH does not approve any type of respiratory protection for children).

• FFR has ear loops instead of headbands.

NIOSH also offers additional tips on how to identify counterfeit masks, including third-party marketplaces. Some things to consider include: 

• If a listing claims to be “legitimate” and “genuine,” it likely is not.

• Examine transactions history and feedback if possible

• Look for fluctuations of items traded over time (high or low transaction periods)

• Look for price deviations and fluctuations (Is it too good to be true?)

• Look at the quantity a buyer has in stock.

• During a time of shortage, advertising “unlimited stock” could indicate that the respirator is not approved.

• Does the seller break marketplace policy and hide their contact information within images to circumvent filters.

OSHA Proposes Updates to Hazard Communication Standard

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is scheduled to publish a notice of proposed rule update to its Hazard Communication (“Haz Com”) Standard on February 16th, 2021. This proposed change will align its rules with those in the seventh version of the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS).

OSHA’s Haz Com was initially established in 1983, and it provides a systematized approach to communicating workplace hazards associated with exposure to hazardous chemicals. The Haz Com Standard is currently linked to the third version of GHS, which was created in 2012. In the Haz Com Standard, chemical manufacturers are required to classify the hazards of chemical which they produce or import into the US, and employers need to provide information to their employees about the hazardous chemicals to which they are exposed. This includes providing a hazard communication program, labeling and other forms of warning, safety data sheets, and training. The notice of proposed rulemaking will enhance worker protections by updating the Haz Com Standard, which should support more extensive efforts to address workplace hazards such as aggregate exposures and cumulative risk models. 

Some other key modifications included in the proposed rule include:

• New flexibility for labeling bulk shipments of hazardous chemicals, including allowing labels to be placed on the immediate container or transmitted with shipping papers, bills of loading, or by other technological or electronic means that are immediately available to workers in printed form on the receiving end of the shipment;

• New alternative labeling options where a manufacturer or importer can demonstrate that it is not feasible to use traditional pull-out labels, fold-back labels, or tags containing the full label information generally required under the Haz Com Standard, including specific alternative requirements for containers less than or equal to 100ml capacity and for containers less than or equal to 3ml capacity; and

• New requirements to update the labels on individual containers that have been released for shipment but are awaiting future distribution where the manufacturer, importer, or distributor become aware of new significant information regarding the chemical’s hazards.

OSHA will be accepting comments on the proposed rule until April 19th, 2021. Comments can be submitted at https://www.regulations.gov/. 

International Labour Organization Becomes a Full Member of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)

There is a growing number of United Nation agencies and international development bodies that are committed to promoting greater transparency in the use of development and humanitarian resources to address poverty and crises. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has recently become a full member of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), which brings together governments, multilateral institutions, the private sector, and civil society organizations to increase the transparency and openness of resources flowing into developing countries. By making the data easily accessible, the IATI Standard supports improved accountability on the use of resources and what they achieve, which will benefit both the ILO’s constituents and the international development community. 

Starting from January 1st, 2021, the ILO will continue to strengthen its information, monitoring, and reporting to IATI, and also work to progress work outcomes and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). IATI membership gives the ILO greater opportunities to share knowledge and tools, to improve its own data management and transparency. 

According to ILO, improving transparency means:

• establishing an evidence-based for results achieved

• providing insights on how, where, and for what ILO uses its resources

• ensuring value for money

• putting in practice internationally recognized principles for effective development cooperation enhancing coordination between recipients and contributions of ILO

Trade Unions Calling on European Commission to Take More Action to Secure Workers’ Safety in Regards to COVID-19

Many companies are concerned that COVID-19 is not only a public-health issue but becoming an occupational health issue, as the workplace provides fertile ground for high transmission rates of the virus. If the European Union (EU) fails to guarantee workers’ health and safety, it will be more challenging to recover from the crisis. Trade unions are calling on the European Commission to formally recognize COVID-19 as an occupational disease. 

The European Trade Union Institute has provided evidence that the EU government is not doing enough to counter workplace risks from the pandemic, failing to provide adequate protective equipment for high-risk, front-line carers or implementing full safety measures for workers in healthcare, transport, retail, and other sectors. A survey on European Working Conditions found that people working from home are twice as likely to work 48 hours or more and six times more likely to work in their free time than others, which puts workers at a higher risk for anxiety to affect their mental health. About three in every five workers in the European Union report musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), based on data from the sixth European Working Conditions Survey.  This has led the EU-OSHA to launch a campaign to offer tools and resources to help employers tackle MSDs effectively at any workplace in Europe. The campaign highlights three priority areas focusing on MSDs prevention, facts and figures, and chronic conditions, which all cover a specific topic related to MSDs. 

The deputy general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation states that a new updated EU strategic framework should address many mobile and migrant workers’ living and working conditions in Europe. This will also ensure that employers fulfill their obligations to provide safe, hygienic workplaces and accommodations, with the EU-OSHA and the European Labour Authority.