Part 1: "Bridges" of dialogue
With synchronous infrastructure and abundant human resources, Nghe An has become a "stronghold" for FDI attraction in the country. However, behind that impressive growth picture are "undercurrents" of labor disputes, strikes that can break out at any time due to cultural clashes or language differences. In the midst of that conflict, union officials become the "fire-fighters", using their understanding and courage to resolve tensions and maintain a stable investment environment.
Part 1:
The "bridges" of dialogue
With synchronous infrastructure and abundant human resources, Nghe An has become a highlight in attracting FDI in the country. However, along with impressive growth, it is inevitable that there will be some instability in labor disputes, cultural clashes or language differences. In the midst of that conflict, union officials become the bridge between businesses and workers - with understanding and courage to resolve tensions and maintain a stable investment environment.
“Undercurrents” in labor relations
Over the past decade, Vietnam has emerged as a bright spot in attracting FDI capital thanks to its political stability and participation in new-generation free trade agreements (FTAs) such as CPTPP and EVFTA. On that foundation, Nghe An has grown strongly, attracting large corporations such as VSIP, Luxshare, Goertek, WHA... thanks to breakthroughs in connecting transport infrastructure (North-South expressway, Cua Lo deep-water port...), abundant human resources and the government's strong commitment to improving the investment environment, building strategic trust for businesses. The presence of FDI enterprises has created a strong momentum for the local economy, creating job opportunities for tens of thousands of workers with stable incomes, directly contributing to the growth of GRDP and export turnover of the province.
However, behind the impressive growth figures, there are still significant challenges, which can be compared to "undercurrents" that threaten sustainable development. These are the risks of conflicts of interest and cultural clashes between business owners and employees, stemming from differences in language, habits and the application of labor laws. If these disagreements are not discussed and resolved promptly, they will potentially lead to disputes and strikes, disrupting the production chain and eroding investor confidence. Along with that is the increasing pressure on social infrastructure (housing, health care, education). In the long term, if conflicts accumulate, they can negatively impact security and order, affecting the stable political and social environment, which is the core competitive advantage in attracting FDI capital flows into Vietnam.
With more than 20 years of working with the trade union organization, having directly participated in grasping and resolving many strikes in the province, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen - a full-time trade union officer of the Provincial Labor Federation shared: Bac Vinh is the first industrial park in Vinh city. In the first years of operation, enterprises in the industrial park experienced labor relations tensions. The most obvious manifestation was the illegal strikes at Matrix Vinh Company Limited with the participation of more than 2,000 - 3,000 workers, lasting for many days.
In addition to the reasons related to interests, there are also reasons related to culture, behavior, language differences, etc. Not finding a common voice, neither side giving in to the other, leading to high conflicts. During this period, the leaders of FDI enterprises still had a certain wariness towards the union staff, because they thought that we were one-sidedly siding with the workers. Some workers suspected that we would side with the enterprises for personal gain.
Lack of dialogue, misunderstanding, and lack of sympathy are the common roots of many other labor conflicts in the province. In Nam Cam Industrial Park, BSE Electronics Co., Ltd. is also an enterprise that frequently experiences large-scale collective work stoppages.
Sharing about one of the reasons for the most recent work stoppage, Ms. Hoang Thi Thu Huong - Chairwoman of the Southeast Economic Zone Trade Union said: “The incident stemmed from the company's decision to transfer a number of older workers who had devoted many years to the outdoor cleaning department, which was hot and hard. This stemmed from the purely profit-oriented management perspective of the FDI enterprise, which was contrary to the fundamental values of the Vietnamese people such as valuing affection and gratitude for long-term dedication. This made the workers think that the enterprise mistreated its workers. Previously, this enterprise was considered inconsiderate when it deducted the salaries of workers who took leave due to family funerals. This collision showed a big gap in understanding the fundamental ethical and traditional values of the Vietnamese people.”
During the strikes of over 5,000 workers at Viet Glory Company Limited (Dien Chau), one of the reasons why workers were upset was the attitude of Chinese managers. Workers did not understand the language, so when managers instructed and reminded them through team leaders, they did not fully understand, leading to repeated mistakes. When managers expressed their attitude with a harsh tone, workers felt insulted and despised. In addition, workers were not given a clear explanation of the allowance regime in different positions, so they were always comparing and dissatisfied. As a result, workers took a week off work, causing the company to lose tens of billions of dong.
Mr. Nguyen Chi Cong - Vice Chairman of the Provincial Labor Federation shared: “From the perspective of enterprises, especially FDI enterprises, the business and production situation will be the top concern. This unintentionally makes them forget the equally important factors such as labor relations and human factors, which are operated by Vietnam's very own cultural and social rules. If we mechanically apply management models from the mother country without appropriate adjustments, it will be like wearing a ready-made shirt and hoping that our workers will fit it. It is the "misfit" that causes conflicts and simmering frustrations. And strikes and work stoppages occur, causing losses for businesses, workers and localities.”
"Building bridges" with understanding
When a strike occurs, the conflict is pushed to its peak, that is also the time when the mettle and role of the union cadres are most clearly demonstrated. They must be directly present at the “hot spot”, standing between the two sides to listen, dialogue, seek solutions and resolve tensions.
During the collective work stoppages at Matrix Vinh Company, faced with the indifference of the enterprise and the suspicion of the workers, the union officials used perseverance and sincerity to resolve the situation. They immersed themselves in the lives of the workers for many days, ate together, talked together to untangle each mental knot, found and persuaded the unofficial "leaders". They persistently contacted the enterprise and persuaded with solid knowledge of labor law, analyzed the gains and losses, advantages and disadvantages... if the tension escalated. Nearly 10 years since the most recent strike, the labor relations situation at this enterprise has been stable and harmonious.
In the case of cultural conflicts at BSE Electronics Co., Ltd., after reassuring the workers, the union officials analyzed the root cause of the problem for the enterprise to understand. “Behind FDI enterprises, there is always a team of experienced experts and lawyers, so union officials must be brave. To stand in the middle of the strike storm, union officials must have a cool head to analyze the law, “translate” culture and a warm heart to persuade and negotiate,” said Ms. Hoang Thi Thu Huong, President of the Southeast Economic Zone Union. Also from her experience, Ms. Huong believes that when facing thousands of workers, friendliness and simple language are the most powerful, a timely joke can make the angry crowd laugh, and reduce tension.
Ms. Tran Thi Nguyet - Vice President of the Southeast Economic Zone Trade Union shared: “No strike is the same and reality is multifaceted. To stand firm amid tensions, the prerequisite is flexibility and must make the workers trust. With the experience of the union staff, in recent years, many conflicts have been prevented early thanks to grasping information through friendly channels, promptly going to each workshop and each boarding house to propagate. But there are also times when we are forced to step back, let them feel the damage when deliberately causing difficulties. In the end, both businesses and workers must see the consequences for the problem to be resolved thoroughly.”
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After many years of instability, the labor relationship between the business owner and the workers at Viet Glory Company Limited (Dien Chau) seems to have turned a new page. 3 years ago, the keyword "Viet Glory" was associated with the image of thousands of workers in pink uniforms standing in front of the company's gate on strike. Now, the company has doubled in size, orders are increasing day by day, the relationship between the management team and workers is friendly, the company's leaders create favorable conditions for all levels of unions to organize activities for workers. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy (worker at VietGlory Company Limited) shared: From the participation of all levels of government and especially the guidance and support of the higher-level union, the working environment at the company is increasingly improved. Leaders and managers know how to listen and respect workers, welfare regimes for workers are guaranteed, so we all feel secure in our work.
Not only in the cases at the above-mentioned enterprises, in units such as Emtech Vinh Co., Ltd., Wooin Vina Co., Ltd., Haivina Kim Lien Co., Ltd., Zonsen International Packaging Co., Ltd. (Nghe An Branch)... the situation of collective work stoppages was quickly resolved after the union intervened. From the knowledge and experience of the union staff, illegal strikes were not only quickly resolved but also prevented early.
“Union officials not only protect the legitimate rights of workers, but also must be a “cultural filter”, helping businesses understand that investing in cultural understanding and respect for people is also investing in long-term stability and production efficiency. The ultimate goal is to create a working environment where the interests of businesses and the interests of workers do not confront each other but go hand in hand, creating a synergistic strength. That is the only way to sustainable development. After each incident, the union continues to maintain its accompanying role, ensuring that what was agreed upon at the negotiating table is implemented in the factory” - Mr. Nguyen Chi Cong, Vice Chairman of the Provincial Labor Federation emphasized./.
