Government leaders dialogue with union members

On the afternoon of September 24, in a dialogue with Government members at the forum "Vietnam Trade Union accompanies the Government to improve national competitiveness and sustainable development of the country", many delegates expressed their concerns for the country's development.

What should workers do to keep up with the 4.0 revolution?

Mr. Tran Quang Huy - Chairman of the Trade Union of Industry and Trade, raised the issue of the fourth industrial revolution as an opportunity for Vietnam to catch up with the development of other countries. However, this is also a challenge. Vietnam is also at risk of not overcoming the middle-income trap, the gap between rich and poor is increasing.

Ms. Cao Thi Tham - President of the Quang Nam Provincial Labor Federation asked: "How will the Government orient policies and apply technology to help workers adapt to a highly competitive economy and the impact of the fourth industrial revolution?".

Ms. Tran Quy Dan - Chairwoman of Garment Corporation 10 Trade Union. Photo: Labor Union.

Sharing the same concern, delegate Luu Cong Huynh, Ho Chi Minh City Labor Union, asked: "What solutions does the Government have to help workers keep up with the 4.0 revolution?".

Responding to this content, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said that the 4.0 revolution is a topic that is attracting everyone, like a train that should not be missed. Like other revolutions, this is a big challenge, those who are proactive will benefit, those who are not will lose. "We should be steadfast, victory will come to those who proactively approach technology," said Mr. Dam.

Looking back at the challenges and opportunities, the Deputy Prime Minister cited research at the World Economic Forum on 100 economies. Accordingly, Vietnam's technology and innovation scores are low, placing it in the group of weak countries. To take advantage of opportunities from the 4.0 industrial revolution to increase productivity, according to the Deputy Prime Minister, the most important thing is to shift the labor structure.

Currently, 38% of Vietnam's workforce is still in the agricultural sector, while in developed countries it is only a few percent. If the workforce is shifted to textiles, productivity will be higher than in agriculture, not to mention in industry, software is much higher than textiles.

"To shift agricultural labor, we must improve the business environment, enhance national competitiveness, attract more investors, build more factories, and expand the market," said Mr. Dam.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that Vietnam needs great determination to change. First, from the Government, all institutional stakeholders need guidance from the Government. Second, businesses must participate in training not only for themselves but also for everyone, and the core is that people and workers must learn.

"We must use information technology and smartphones to eliminate technological illiteracy. We must be ready to face challenges, improve our skills, and change careers to create jobs for ourselves," said Mr. Dam.

Prevent bad information from spreading on social networks

At the dialogue, delegate Pham Quan Ca, Vinh Phuc Provincial Trade Union, asked: "The situation of inaccurate and fabricated information and illegal appeals to workers has been rampant on social networks recently. What solutions does the Government have to help workers feel secure in their work and trust the Party and the State?"

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam at the seminar. Photo: VGP.

Acting Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung said that the recent fake and incorrect information is due to many people participating in social networks without proper identity. In terms of state management, the Ministry of Information and Communications is perfecting the legal framework as well as working with service providers to require social network participants to provide their names, phone numbers, and ID numbers, etc.

Along with that is the issue of training and raising awareness about the online world. According to Mr. Hung, in the past, people used a lot of official and verified information. However, now the information on the internet lacks authenticity, so each person must have their own filter.

In addition, there must be a cyber security information center to monitor false information, then require providers to block bad and toxic information to make cyberspace healthier. The Prime Minister has assigned the Ministry of Information and Communications to initially implement this work.

Giving advice to the trade union, Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung said that the trade union should proactively provide official information. Each industrial park needs a Fanpage to provide official information of the trade union. The Ministry of Information is coordinating with the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to build Fanpages on social networks in each industrial park.

Salary and bonus regime does not guarantee workers' lives

Discussing the lives of textile workers, Ms. Tran Quy Dan - Chairman of the Trade Union of Garment Corporation 10, pointed out some difficulties of the textile industry such as workers are still weak in thinking about work arrangement; support tools to increase productivity are still outdated; the working environment and mechanism to attract talent have not been created; the salary and bonus regime has not ensured the lives of workers.

Ms. Nguyen Khoa Hoai Huong - President of Hue Labor Federation said that the sharing of benefits between employees and employers is not harmonious, so the appeal of employers has not affected employees, and the remuneration paid to employees is still lower than the basic salary.

Ms. Huong proposed the solution that workers need to have an industrial style, must learn and equip themselves with knowledge to stand in the position of the enterprise. In the labor agreement, it is necessary to include the content of harmony between workers and enterprises so that workers can contribute their efforts.

Regarding this issue, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue said that Vietnam is continuing to perfect the minimum wage system. This is the lowest floor, to protect the rights of workers; it is the basis for discussing and signing labor contracts and collective labor agreements.

“Not only monthly minimum wages, but we will also build a system of hourly minimum wages,” Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue shared.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, the Government will strengthen inspection and examination work to ensure that the construction of this minimum wage system is implemented in practice.

From September 24 to September 26, the 12th Congress of Vietnam Trade Union took place with the participation of 947 delegates - representing more than 10 million union members, workers, civil servants and laborers nationwide.