Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on labour disputes and labour dispute settlement in Vietnam

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented damage to labour relations and has fueled labour disputes in Vietnam and around the world. The number of both individual and collective labour disputes has increased due to the difficulties faced by employers during the pandemic. Many employers were forced to cut jobs, reduce employees’ income and benefits, and adjust working conditions. This paper analyzes the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on labour disputes and labour dispute settlement in Vietnam. It also identifies several shortcomings and proposes solutions to address these issues in the application of the Labour Code 2019 to resolve labour disputes in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.