Laos boosts efforts to eliminate workplace discrimination

Vientiane [Laos], January 24: Laos' Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare is stepping up efforts to eliminate discrimination in the workplace, including gender-based abuse and child labor.
These efforts were reinforced on Wednesday during a meeting to review a draft training manual and communication tools aimed at preventing discrimination in the world of work. The meeting brought together officials and stakeholders to improve understanding and strengthen protections for workers, the local Pasaxon newspaper reported on Friday.
In his speech, Deputy Director General of the ministry's Department of Labor Management Khamphat Onlasy said the initiative seeks to protect workers from all forms of abuse and discrimination while helping Laos meet international labor standards.
Khamphat also urged relevant officials to actively share lessons and experiences with experts to ensure the training manual and communication toolkit on eliminating workplace discrimination are completed on schedule and adapted to the realities of Laos.
The initiative is part of a broader project aimed at eliminating workplace discrimination, abuse, and child labor in Laos to support trade and compliance. The project seeks to align national laws and practices with international labor standards, a key requirement under free trade agreements and evolving expectations in global supply chains.
To achieve these objectives, the project focuses on selected trade-related sectors by strengthening social dialogue and building institutional capacity to prevent discrimination and abuse in the workplace, both in law and in practice. It also promotes labor relations policies that uphold fundamental principles and rights at work, while supporting efforts to eliminate child labor.
Source: Xinhua