Part 2: Practical care and sharing to foster connection.
Amidst the colorful landscape of worker security, the Vietnam Trade Union, specifically the Nghe An Trade Union, has continuously strived and innovated to become a warm "embrace" and a reliable support for its members and workers. Practical care and timely sharing are the foundation for building trust, attracting and retaining workers, and are the core task in creating a strong and stable workforce.
Authors: Diep Thanh - Thanh Chung - Phan Trang
Technical: Diep Thanh
Amidst the colorful landscape of worker security, the Vietnam Trade Union, specifically the Nghe An Trade Union, has continuously strived and innovated to become a warm "embrace" and a reliable support for its members and workers. Practical care and timely sharing are the foundation for building trust, attracting and retaining workers, and are the core task in creating a strong and stable workforce.
The Nghe An Provincial Trade Union has adopted many innovative approaches to enhance its efforts in caring for its members and workers. Instead of simply allocating funds from its annual operating budget, the Nghe An Provincial Trade Union has leveraged its position to mobilize social resources to improve the material and spiritual well-being of workers.
In particular, entering 2025, with the theme "Focus on developing union members; participating in building a clean and strong Party," the work of caring for workers has been further strengthened with many new programs. At the launching ceremony of the 2025 Workers' Month, the Nghe An Provincial Federation of Labor once again demonstrated its pioneering role in concretizing care with tangible results. 27 "Union Shelter" houses were donated, each worth 50 million VND; 107 gifts, totaling 127 million VND, were given to workers who suffered work accidents or were in difficult circumstances. More than 1,000 union members received training to improve their knowledge of occupational safety and hygiene, nutrition, and health care.
In particular, the "Workers' Health Day" program helped more than 400 workers receive free health check-ups, medical consultations, and medication right at the event. This series of activities was not ostentatious or formal; everything was organized in the spirit of "putting union members at the center," using substance as the measure of effectiveness. And it is through these concrete actions that the Nghe An Trade Union has affirmed its role in caring for its members and workers.
Also during the 2025 Workers' Month, the Nghe An Provincial Trade Union has proactively developed the program "Creative Workers, Confidently Stepping into a New Era" with the "Creative Labor Forum" and the "2025 Creative Labor Festival". Activities leading up to Workers' Month are also taking place enthusiastically in many districts such as Dien Chau, Nghia Dan, Quynh Luu, Anh Son, Nam Dan... with sports competitions, skills contests, and exchange programs that are both large-scale and practical. The 2025 Workers' Month is also an opportunity for trade unions to demonstrate their role in caring for and protecting the main productive force of society with gifts, savings books, and a health check-up program implemented simultaneously, ensuring both scale and quality.
Mr. Ta Dinh Phuong, a former worker at Chau Tien Co., Ltd., shared: “The past year has been a turbulent one for us, with many people dying from silicosis and many suffering irreversible health damage… In that context, we were greatly comforted by the trade union's constant care and support. Even though our company has been dissolved, the higher-level trade union still cares and regularly visits us. At this event, the higher-level trade union created opportunities for us to participate in a meaningful activity, which was both enjoyable, physically healthy, and provided us with additional knowledge.” Accordingly, workers from Chau Tien Co., Ltd. and thousands of other workers throughout the province received comprehensive health check-ups, including clinical examinations, abdominal ultrasounds, electrocardiograms, ear-nose-throat examinations, eye examinations, and dental and maxillofacial examinations.
In addition, the Nghe An Provincial Trade Union has implemented a series of "Member Welfare" programs with free and discounted benefits specifically for union members and workers at fairs, shopping destinations, hospitals, clinics, and extracurricular classes for workers' children. These programs are the result of persistent negotiation, propaganda, and mobilization by the trade union organization with business owners, with the core message "workers are valuable assets," and "caring for workers is caring for the business." From 2019 to the present, hundreds of agreements on welfare for union members have been signed, benefiting tens of thousands of workers, from healthcare to consumer support, from transportation service discounts to resort service incentives…
The health of female workers – an issue often overlooked due to busy work schedules and economic constraints – is also a matter of particular concern for the Trade Union. Through health care welfare programs at all levels of the union, many union members and workers have discovered health problems and received timely treatment. The "Trade Union Meal" program is another vivid example of this practical care.
The Trade Union not only cares for its employees but also focuses on their children. The "Connecting with Love" summer camp program for orphaned and disadvantaged children of workers has left many with strong emotions. Many union members and workers were moved to share stories about the changes in their children after participating in the valuable experiences at the summer camp, returning home happier, more open, and more confident…
In summary, the trade union branches in Nghe An province have provided and mobilized support for union members and workers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic with a total amount exceeding 27 billion VND. The total amount spent on "Tet Reunion" activities in 2023 was over 77 billion VND, and in 2024, nearly 20 billion VND was spent on caring for nearly 23,000 union members during Tet. The total expenditure for "Workers' Month" activities over the three years from 2021-2024 was over 20 billion VND. The "Trade Union Tet Market" program in 2024, conducted through an e-commerce platform, provided 3,000 free shopping vouchers (each worth 300,000 VND) with a total value of 900 million VND to 3,000 workers. In addition, the "Loan Program for Job Creation" disbursed 1.3 billion VND.
To truly protect the legitimate rights and enhance the security of workers, collective bargaining agreements (CLAs) play a crucial role. CLAs are an important and necessary solution to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of workers and help businesses achieve sustainable development. A high-quality CLA will contribute to attracting and retaining employees, while preventing strikes and collective work stoppages in the context of increasingly difficult recruitment and human resource development.
During the implementation process, the Nghe An Provincial Labor Union paid special attention to improving the quality of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). Although some CBAs were merely formal, rudimentary, or simply copied legal regulations, many units made significant efforts to improve. A prime example is the Southeast Economic Zone Labor Union, which was highly praised for its high-quality CBAs, with wages and allowances exceeding the regional minimum wage. Workers' rights were clearly defined, strictly implemented, and ensured in accordance with the law, even exceeding legal requirements.
By the end of 2024, 484 enterprises had collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), reaching a rate of 82%. Of these, 30 out of 30 state-owned enterprises (100%); 43 out of 58 FDI enterprises (74.1%); and 411 out of 502 non-state enterprises (81.9%). These are vivid examples of the efforts of the Nghe An Trade Union in concretizing workers' rights through high-quality CBAs.
In the new context, especially after Vietnam joined the CPTPP Agreement and the Labor Code allowed the establishment of other worker representative organizations, attracting and retaining union members has become a vital task for the Vietnam Trade Union. The Nghe An Trade Union deeply understands that developing union membership and establishing grassroots trade unions is not just a task, but a matter of survival. This spirit has been instilled throughout the entire system with specific targets for each grassroots unit.
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This task has never been easy. Trade unions are facing numerous difficulties and challenges due to economic recession, labor fluctuations, and the risk of labor relations conflicts. Many business owners still do not fully understand the role and function of trade unions. Furthermore, businesses frequently experience personnel changes or encounter difficulties in business and production. Limited allowances and the heavy workload of trade union officials are also reasons why many units hesitate to establish trade unions… Despite these obstacles, the Nghe An Trade Union remains committed to its set targets with the spirit of "the more difficult the situation, the more effort we must make." With the motto of focusing activities on the grassroots, using the grassroots as the operational area, and targeting union members and workers, trade union officials have creatively overcome difficulties, achieving and exceeding important targets.
To leverage coordinated efforts and secure support from various agencies and units, the Provincial Labor Union established a Steering Committee for membership development and also formed a Support Team for developing grassroots trade union organizations in enterprises. This support team focused on advising and assisting units with a large number of enterprises lacking trade union organizations, as well as those facing difficulties in propaganda and mobilization efforts. Many higher-level trade unions also established membership development steering committees, set targets for each term, and advised local Party committees to issue directives on this matter.
As a result, in 2024, Nghe An province newly admitted 23,708 union members, an increase of 18,330 members compared to the beginning of the year, reaching 117.5% of the target set by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor. At the same time, 87 new grassroots trade unions were established, reaching 217.5% of the 2024 target set by the Provincial Labor Federation. Notably, 3 grassroots trade unions were established in the informal sector (reaching 100% of the target) in Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, and Hoang Mai town, with 1,503 new members admitted (reaching 250.5% of the target). In the first 5 months of 2025, the Nghe An Trade Union established 8 new grassroots trade unions with 13,185 members.
These successes stem from many innovative approaches at the grassroots level. At the Southeast Economic Zone Trade Union, union officials not only leverage the support and cooperation of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board from the very beginning of each enterprise's establishment, but also assign specific areas to each official to understand the characteristics of the enterprise and monitor the implementation of the Labor Law. By building relationships with the workforce, providing timely advice and answers, union officials have built the organization's reputation and standing in the eyes of the enterprise. In some enterprises, union officials had to persistently visit up to five times before successfully persuading the organization. Furthermore, the Southeast Economic Zone Trade Union also organizes activities with widespread appeal to workers, such as the "New Life Rhythm Dance" competition, the "Elegant Youth" competition, and the "Workers' Sports Tournament"...
In Quynh Luu, the lesson of "being close to the people" has helped the District Labor Union establish two fishermen's unions with 2,368 members. Union officials have worked with dedication and perseverance, accompanying and sharing with fishermen for a long time. Through the government, they learned about the fishing community and built close relationships with influential people. Instead of formal meetings, they visited fishermen on the days their boats returned, played football, ate meals at sea, and visited and supported fishermen in difficult circumstances. This closeness and sincerity helped fishermen see the benefits and agree to establish the unions.
In Vinh City, in just the first six months of 2024, the City Labor Union established 27 grassroots trade unions (exceeding the annual target by 450%), recruited 617 new members (reaching 176.3% of the target), and achieved 90% of the target set by the 18th Congress of the Vinh City Labor Union for the 2023-2028 term. Mr. Thai Le Cuong, Chairman of the Vinh City Labor Union, stated that the unit has consistently approached and fostered friendly relations with employers to ensure their understanding, agreement, and support for the union, while simultaneously investing human resources, time, and funds in promoting membership growth and establishing grassroots trade unions.
It can be said that the trade unions at all levels in Nghe An not only effectively fulfill their roles and responsibilities but also mobilize the participation and cooperation of businesses, workers, and resources from socio-political organizations to better care for union members and workers. As a result, they attract more members, and the position of the trade union organization is increasingly affirmed and honored.
“We always listen, understand, and respect the opinions, especially those of workers. Based on that, we formulate policies, build laws, and organize their implementation. All for the goal of the happiness and well-being of the people, including workers and laborers. Listening, dialogue, and sharing to understand each other and share responsibility is also a common responsibility of ministries, sectors, localities, and relevant stakeholders.”
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh
