PV: CopperwillCan you briefly inform us about the characteristics, situation of union members, workers and grassroots trade union organizations in Nghe An province at present?
Comrade Kha Van Tam:Currently, Nghe An has 171,283 union members and 2,885 grassroots unions. Of which, the proportion of female union members accounts for more than 56.5% with 96,873 union members.
Compared to the beginning of the term, the number of union members increased by 25,397, while the number of grassroots unions decreased by 185 units. The working conditions of union members and workers have gradually improved; the average income of workers in enterprises is from 5.3 to 6.1 million VND/month.
In concentrated industrial zones, there are more than 5,000 workers in need of housing. The number of officials, civil servants and public employees has decreased while the number of workers in enterprises and the informal sector has increased.
PV: When it comes to trade unions, what union members always put their trust in is protecting their legitimate and legal interests. So the most difficult time for them was the Covid-19 pandemic and the wave of layoffs in the past year.,So what have trade unions at all levels done to fulfill their role well?
Comrade Kha Van Tam:It can be said that these are two difficult periods in which trade unions at all levels have always strived to accompany and share with union members and workers in the province. Many union members still have not forgotten the images at the end of 2021, when convoys of motorbikes of Nghe An workers from the southern provinces lined up to return home to avoid the epidemic, the trade union was one of the first organizations present at Ben Thuy bridge to support these workers.
Understanding the hardships and shortages that union members and workers are facing, trade union organizations at all levels have made efforts to coordinate with the health, labor, war invalids and social affairs, and social insurance sectors to support F0 workers to enjoy social insurance benefits during their time off work; provide emergency support for union members and workers affected by the Covid-19 epidemic, workers returning from the South; guide workers renting houses to receive support according to Decision 08...
Many creative models in epidemic prevention and control and support for union members and workers have been born. These include the model of "Union Kitchen", "Zero-VND Bus", organizing direct consultation on post-Covid-19 health care; connecting information to introduce jobs and mobilizing workers, civil servants and laborers in the whole province to support the Covid-19 Epidemic Prevention Fund. Thanks to these efforts, the Unions at all levels have mobilized 27,104,763,000 VND to support union members and workers affected by the Covid-19 epidemic.
The difficulties caused by the pandemic have just passed, but from September 2022 to the middle of this year, many businesses have encountered difficulties due to the reduction of orders, leading to a significant number of union members having their working hours reduced and their labor contracts terminated. In this situation, the Union has sought to minimize the negative impact on workers by negotiating support policies, retraining programs, or career conversion. In addition, implementing Decision 6696/QD-TLĐ dated January 16, 2023 of the General Confederation of Labor on implementing policies to support union members and employees whose working hours are reduced or whose labor contracts are terminated due to businesses cutting or reducing orders, the Provincial Labor Confederation has approved the first phase of support for 513 people from 6 businesses, with an amount of 541.7 million VND, and is reviewing the second phase of application with a total amount of 2.4 billion VND for 1,945 employees. This support has significantly contributed to helping employees overcome difficulties and increase their trust in the trade union organization.
PV: There were 19 strikes in the last term. Compared to the previous term, there were 8 more strikes.willCan you tell us the cause and role of the union when these hot spots occur?
Comrade Kha Van Tam:The causes of strikes mainly stem from conflicts of interest related to wages, income, allowances, welfare, safety, occupational hygiene, social insurance, labor contracts, management behavior, policies to support workers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, etc. Meanwhile, proactive solutions to prevent strikes have not been thoroughly and effectively implemented. Some grassroots trade unions and mass organizations at enterprises are still passive and confused in caring for and protecting the legitimate and legal interests of workers, and their ability to resolve labor disputes is limited.
Identifying the cause, immediately after the strikes, representatives of the Labor Federation at all levels were present in a timely manner, directly collecting and grasping the situation, synthesizing and classifying workers' opinions; coordinating with sectors and units to inspect and review related policies and regimes that workers proposed. From there, representatives of the Labor Federation requested enterprises to respond to petitions sent to all workers to create ideological unity. The Union also propagated, persuaded, and mobilized enterprises to resolve a number of legitimate petitions for workers. Notable examples include: Researching legal regulations to supplement toxic and heavy work allowances, increasing meal allowances, adjusting and drawing experience from management attitudes, fixing errors in timekeeping machines, etc. Through these activities, the interests of workers were protected to the maximum, and strikes were resolved decisively, preventing disputes from being prolonged and complicated, affecting security and order.
PV: Entering the current stage, what changes have the trade union organization made to adapt to new requirements arising from practice, gradually ensuring the two factors: "strong in quantity, solid in quality" in order to create a reliable support for union members?
Comrade Kha Van Tam:It can be affirmed that the results of Nghe An Trade Union's activities in recent times have had strong changes. Many programs and activities have been deployed and organized for the first time. For example, the Provincial Labor Federation has organized the signing of a coordination program with 21/21 district Party Committees, City Party Committees and the Party Committee of the Provincial Agencies Bloc on directing the organization and activities of trade unions in localities and sectors with a large number of union members and workers. Thereby, further strengthening the leadership role of the Party in the activities of the Trade Union organization.
Nghe An Provincial Federation of Labor is also one of the leading units in the national trade union system to develop and promulgate a plan to implement digital transformation in trade union activities throughout the province until 2025, with a vision to 2030. It has strongly applied information technology and social networks in information and propaganda work and task implementation.
Regarding the work of caring for union members and workers, there have been innovations in programs associated with the "brand" of the Trade Union organization such as: "Tet Sum vay", "Worker's Month", "Trade Union Shelter"... These programs have integrated creative activities such as organizing the Forum "Thanking workers"; organizing the Program "Going to workers' boarding houses" to visit and give gifts. Through that, during the term, 57 billion 444 million VND was mobilized to organize "Tet Sum vay" activities. Bringing 239 newly built and repaired houses named "Trade Union Shelter", with a total amount of 8.425 billion VND, building 02 boarding houses for teachers with an amount of 1 billion VND.
Patriotic emulation movements have been strongly innovated, attracting a large number of union members to actively participate. Notably, the Program "75 thousand initiatives to overcome difficulties and develop": Nghe An leads the country in the number of registrants and the number of people submitting initiatives. As for the Program "01 million initiatives - efforts to overcome difficulties, creativity, determination to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic" At the end of phase 1, Nghe An ranked 5th nationwide. The estimated value of the topics and initiatives is hundreds of billions of VND. Those efforts have helped Nghe An Trade Union achieve and exceed many targets, becoming a typical unit nationwide in implementing Resolution No. 02-NQ/TW, dated June 12, 2021 of the Politburo on "Innovation of organization and operation of Vietnam Trade Union in the new situation".
PV: Entering a new term with mixed advantages and difficulties, in your opinion, what changes does the trade union need to make to strengthen its strength and improve its operational efficiency?
Comrade Kha Van Tam:In the next 5 years, Nghe An promises to be one of the destinations of large domestic and international investors, creating a huge demand for high-quality, technical human resources. Nghe An's workforce will increase rapidly in number when many large projects come into operation. At the same time, under the impact of the 4.0 technology revolution, technological changes, and the complexity of the world situation will be major changes from reality.
Faced with these changes, the key is to build a team of union officials who are truly innovative in their thinking, have a strategic vision, and inspection and supervision must be carried out regularly. Each union official must know how to improve and perfect their professional qualifications, skills, and expertise; have the courage to lead movement activities well, and inspire grassroots union officials, union members, and workers.
Trade unions at all levels also need to concentrate resources and actively implement solutions to improve the effectiveness of union member development work, establish grassroots trade unions in non-state areas, where there are many workers, and where there are potential complications in labor relations. It is necessary to build strong enough financial resources and union assets, as a lever to promote union activities in the new situation, creating a change towards professionalism and transparency. Serious and synchronous innovation will help the union organization to be strong, always a solid support for workers and laborers in the new situation."
Finally, it is necessary to take Resolution No. 02-NQ/TW, dated June 12, 2021 of the Politburo on "Innovation of organization and operation of Vietnam Trade Union in the new situation" as a basis for building action programs, gradually building increasingly strong trade unions, always a solid support for workers and laborers in the new situation"./.
PV: Thank you, comrade.willabout the conversation!