Responding to growing interest in the transnational politics of decent work and inclusive development, this talk explores the drivers of Vietnam’s industrial relations reforms. It draws attention to: wildcat strikes, which triggered concerns about regime legitimacy; pressures on manufacturers from reputation-conscious buyers; the Trans Pacific Partnership’s stipulation of freedom of association; together with economic and geopolitical incentives to join TPP. While donor-supported pilots do not appear to have motivated reform, they are nonetheless important: providing a valuable space for reformists to explore new ideas; iteratively adapt; garner evidence of what furthers their perceived interests and ideologies; with which they can persuade anxious, conservative colleagues, so as to build a reform coalition. By tracing the politics of governance reform, and situating aid in this wider context, this qualitative study furthers our understanding of the politics of inclusive development. It also makes two constructive suggestions: how to effectively scale-up pilot programs, and productively engage with wider opportunities for inclusive development, besides aid.