Organizations and industry bodies like VITAS and LEFASO, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and VGCL have collaborated to help the country's apparel industry survive the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. The joint statement issued by these organizations calls the European Union and the Vietnamese government to invest in strategic partnerships to promote social dialogue in line with international labor standards.

It points out that Vietnam is an important source country for the European garment industry, calls for timely and substantive support for affected workers and businesses, and also for investment in education for workers to make them more employable. Like most supply chain countries, COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the apparel industry in Vietnam where 20 per cent of orders in April 2020 and 50 per cent in May were cancelled, leading to the loss of about one million jobs.

Most of the affected businesses and workers reported that they had not been able to access support from the Vietnamese government. Under the new agreement, the stakeholders worked – through social dialogue - to find common ground and solutions to overcome the crisis.