Promoting the role of Nghe An trade union in the new period

CHALLENGES OF THE NEW PERIOD

In recent years, along with the strong innovation of political and social organizations,Nghe An Trade Unionhas made many positive contributions to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of employees through giving constructive opinions and supplementing policies and laws, especially issues related to the rights and interests of employees through giving opinions on draft laws.

That is to direct the grassroots trade unions at enterprises to conduct dialogues and organize conferences of workers with business owners at the workplace according to Decree 60 of the Government (reaching a rate of 69%); to conduct social supervision and criticism according to Decision 217 of the Politburo at enterprises; to coordinate with all levels and sectors to resolve strikes in the area, thereby helping workers and laborers to claim their rights, helping enterprises to enter stable production, creating harmonious labor relations in enterprises, creating trust with investors; to launch and organize many exciting and effective emulation movements.

The work of propagating and disseminating the law to civil servants and employees has been innovated in the direction of direct dialogue on policies at enterprises and direct propaganda at enterprises and at workers' and laborers' dormitories... Trade unions at all levels have promptly participated in resolving difficulties and problems at the grassroots level, creating trust among workers in the trade union organization...

Over the years, trade unions have always been a solid support for a large number of workers. Photo: DT

In the first 6 months of 2021, the Southeast Economic Zone and the provincial industrial parks attracted 9 projects, increased capital for 3 projects, total registered and increased capital reached 6,349 billion VND... Accumulated to June 2021, Nghe An province's industrial parks attracted 253 projects, with a total registered capital of 69,857 billion VND. Attracting investment projects will bring many job opportunities for workers but also pose many major challenges for trade unions in the field of labor relations that need attention.

That is: The shift of the mindset of trade union activities of an administrative nature with the characteristics of participating in State management, socio-economic management, business management, organizing emulation movements, visiting funerals, happy occasions... of the past decades to activities according to the "innate" function of the trade union organization in which the basic and core task is to represent, care for, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of workers. This must be carried out with the high determination of the entire system to avoid the situation of trade union activities being formal, costly, and not meeting the requirements and aspirations of union members and workers.

Nghe An union officials resolve a strike at a newly established enterprise that does not yet have a union. Photo: PV

The establishment of the organization representing workers at the grassroots level according to our country's commitment in the new generation of free trade agreements also means that the Vietnam Trade Union will have an equal "competitor" to gain recognition and participation from workers. A series of issues arise that the Vietnam Trade Union needs to do well, such as: Developing union members and establishing grassroots trade union organizations, the issue of representation in negotiating and signing collective labor agreements, the value of agreements in enterprises, the issue of leadership andorganize a strike, the issue of protecting workers' rights...

Along with the challenge of position is the fluctuation of the labor market when State-owned enterprises are shrinking due to the structure of the economy, the diversity of types of jobs, the shift of migrant workers from rural to urban areas; the impact of the fourth industrial revolution along with increasingly diverse and flexible forms of labor use according to market needs, notably new forms of employment relations such as part-time labor, home-based labor... making the development of union members and the establishment of grassroots unions more difficult.

Nghe An union members donate to support people in epidemic areas, accompanying people nationwide in the fight against Covid-19. Photo: PV

In the coming time, trade union financial resources need to focus more on the big task of taking care of the interests and protecting the rights of workers, while the collection work has not yet overcome difficulties, and trade union economic activities have not been taken seriously in many places. The Covid-19 pandemic has seriously impacted the production and business activities of enterprises in all fields, strongly affecting trade union financial revenue...

The trade union organization apparatus needs to be streamlined, the number of full-time trade union officials will decrease according to the Party's policy, while it is forecasted that the number of union members and grassroots trade unions will continue to increase sharply because Nghe An is promoting investment attraction in industrial parks and industrial clusters in the province.

The tasks of the trade union organization in the coming time will be increasingly heavy, labor relations will be more and more complicated, in the context of equal competition and development with the organization representing workers at the grassroots level, but the number of full-time trade union officials will be reduced. Therefore, the innovation to find a suitable model for the trade union organization in the current situation is a huge challenge for the Vietnam Trade Union organization in general and the Nghe An Trade Union organization in particular.

STEP BY STEP CHANGE

To gradually solve the above important issues, Nghe An Trade Union needs toinnovate and improve organizational performanceto keep up with the development of the times.

In the immediate future, focus on strengthening propaganda and legal education for union members, employees and employers to raise awareness and build harmonious and stable labor relations. Promote propaganda and legal consultancy in both breadth and depth on the basis of applying information technology.

Strongly innovate the content and methods of trade union activities in the direction of concentration, modernity, richness, practicality, closely following political tasks and originating from the legitimate aspirations of workers.

Focus resources and perform core tasks, avoid spreading, create highlights to affirm the role and position of the trade union organization.

Enhance the capacity of trade union officials at all levels, build a network of good legal and labor relations experts at the provincial level to support grassroots and upper-level trade unions in resolving labor disputes, negotiating and dialogue.

Grasp the situation of labor relations when there are signs of complications, coordinate with competent authorities to promptly handle them to prevent illegal collective work stoppages and strikes.

To improve the quality of grassroots trade union officials, the Nghe An Provincial Federation of Labor organized meetings and dialogues with 200 grassroots trade union presidents in the business sector. Photo: DT

On June 12, 2021, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 02-NQ/TW on “Innovation in the organization and operation of the Vietnam Trade Union in the new situation”. The issuance of this Resolution demonstrated the special attention of the Party and State to the Vietnam Trade Union.

This Resolution is of special importance to the Vietnam Trade Union in the current period, directing and orienting the organization and activities of the Vietnam Trade Union in the context of the rapid increase in the number of workers and laborers, the continued expansion of trade union activities and the strong shift to the non-state sector. The Resolution's birth brings great advantages to the Vietnam Trade Union in performing the function of protecting and promoting the rights of workers.

Through many practical and meaningful activities, Nghe An Trade Union always clearly demonstrates its role and function of caring for and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of union members and workers. Photo: PV

Through 92 years of formation and development of the working class and organizationVietnam Trade UnionWith the determination to innovate and the efforts of the whole system, Nghe An Trade Union will truly be an organization representing workers, participating in building harmonious labor relations, making an important contribution to the development of the homeland and country.