Industrial Relations and Labour Law

The Filipino House of Representatives approved a series of Bills related to the pandemic and having important repercussions on employers

• In Vietnam, labour laws, policies and practices are going through significant changes. A new labour code entered into force in January 2021
• New policies put greater emphasis on social dialogue at the workplace, collective bargaining and diversified types of Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs)

• Following allegation of corruption in a public health insurance company, a bipartite institution requested the Government to halt the annual increase on the health contribution;
• It also requested the Government for the suspension in the rise of social security contributions. 

• On 26 November 2020, French social partners concluded a national interprofessional agreement on telework, that provides a framework clarifying the rules and modalities of remote working.
• The text encourages social dialogue at the company and sectoral levels.

• The text contains important updates and simplification measures compared to the previous collective agreement, on categories, qualifications, organisation of work, and salaries.

• Work councils and committees for prevention of psychosocial risks and protection of work are in the process of being elected in Belgium.
• The elections concern more than 6,000 companies.

• The initial phase of the pandemic saw a widespread use of social dialogue processes.
• In the great majority of countries, social dialogue processes achieved “specific and visible process outcomes”.
• Most outcomes related to support enterprises, jobs and incomes, and occupational safety and health at the workplace.

• This short paper provides interesting examples on how social partners have been able to include the informal sector during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.