'Deputy Prime Minister and Minister must also dialogue with workers'

The Prime Minister requested that Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers coordinate well in organizing meetings and dialogues between leaders and workers and laborers.

On the morning of June 28, at the Government Headquarters, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc worked with the Presidium of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor on the results of the implementation of the Regulation on the working relationship between the Government and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor in 2016-2017, and the direction of coordination in 2017-2018.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc works with the Presidium of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor.

Continuously in 2016-2017, the Prime Minister met and had dialogues with workers and laborers in the key economic regions of the South and Central regions with many practical contents, creating strong spiritual motivation for workers and laborers. This is also the motivation for local leaders to dialogue and meet with workers and laborers during the Workers' Month.

In the middle of this year, the Prime Minister issued Decision 665, approving the Project on Investment in Building Trade Union Institutions in Industrial Parks and Export Processing Zones to better care for the vital interests of union members and workers. Accordingly, the General Confederation of Labor has invested in building the first 3 trade union institutions in 3 provinces: Ha Nam, Quang Nam and Tien Giang.

Opinions at the working session focused on the need to coordinate and research to adjust the minimum wage appropriately; have measures and sanctions to force businesses to fulfill their obligations to pay social insurance for workers; provide training to improve workers' skills; build institutions for workers, etc.

Concluding the meeting, the Prime Minister informed about the positive signals of the economy in the first half of this year and said that in those important achievements, there was a direct and great contribution from the Vietnamese working class.

The Prime Minister also appreciated the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor for carrying out many practical activities, including building trade union cultural institutions in three provinces; organizing two Labor Tets in two years in the South and Central regions, creating a real political and social momentum.

The General Confederation has also had solutions to protect the rights of the working class, issued the Vietnam Trade Union Identity System, and applied information technology in a number of activities that benefit union members.

The General Confederation has coordinated to resolve existing problems in the relationship between enterprises and workers, especially at the grassroots level. In general, the lives of workers and laborers have improved, and the number of strikes and work stoppages has decreased.

The Prime Minister requested that both the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister must also increase dialogue with workers and laborers to listen to their opinions.

In recent times, the Government and the General Confederation have also had more substantial coordination. In particular, the General Confederation has affirmed its responsibility in building the legal system, contributing opinions to 182 draft laws, decrees, and circulars; and signed a coordination program with 9 ministries.

The work of inspecting and supervising the implementation of laws and policies related to workers' rights has been improved. Emulation movements have focused on promoting the tradition of the working class; the Vietnam Glory Program with the theme: 30 years of innovation has been successfully organized.

The Prime Minister said that the Government and the Prime Minister always pay special attention to the material and spiritual life of workers and laborers, raising the issue of social housing, worker housing, building cultural institutions in industrial parks, export processing zones, and the month of action on occupational safety and hygiene. Especially in the past two years, the Prime Minister has spent a lot of time addressing the recommendations of the trade unions.

However, the Prime Minister also pointed out that some coordination contents between the Government and the General Confederation of Labor have not achieved the desired results, such as giving priority to workers in joint stock companies with State capital to buy shares when the State divests capital; the issue of financial support for Trade Unions to implement programs to encourage learning to improve skills for workers and laborers... The Prime Minister requested relevant agencies to inspect and urge to perform well this coordination task, demonstrating concern for the working class.

Regarding the tasks in the coming time, the Prime Minister requested the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to continue participating in institution building, proactively contributing ideas to build and disseminate legal knowledge and mechanisms related to the labor regime. Institution building must come from practice to ensure its application to the lives and rights of workers and laborers. Along with that, it is necessary to coordinate with functional agencies to remove obstacles, promote production and business to create jobs.

“Through the two recent meetings, I see that workers and laborers are worried about age and skills. Therefore, vocational training, especially new occupations in the scientific and technological revolution, must be given more attention for the working class. The long-term concern is there.

In a worker's life, they change jobs several times, not just once. A study in the US shows that. How should this labor cycle be trained and coached, and what should our awareness be? This issue is coordinated by the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, promoting the working age of our workers in this revolution," said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister talked with delegates attending the meeting.

Along with that, it is necessary to promote information and propaganda, contributing to strengthening the trust of workers and laborers. The General Confederation of Labor and trade unions at all levels need to focus on taking care of workers' lives, first of all ensuring the implementation of social insurance, unemployment insurance, and health insurance. Along with that, it is necessary to improve the effectiveness of social supervision. It is necessary to coordinate in inspecting and supervising the implementation of labor laws, promptly recommending to remove obstacles, and strictly handling violations.

The Prime Minister also requested that the two sides coordinate to organize emulation movements and encourage workers to contribute to the establishment and the country.

“I suggest that it is possible for Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers, not just the Prime Minister, to coordinate and organize dialogue meetings between leaders and workers and laborers, to listen to the opinions of laborers. This includes a meeting between the Prime Minister and representatives of delegates attending the Vietnam Trade Union Congress. Or meeting with laborers in the North in 2018 during Labor Day. It should be done annually and made better, more practical, to create a good atmosphere,” the Prime Minister stated.

The Prime Minister took a souvenir photo with the Presidium of the General Confederation of Labor after the working session.

At the meeting, the Prime Minister also directly addressed a number of recommendations from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, including the need to study amendments to the Labor Code to suit reality, especially regarding overtime, retirement age, mid-shift meals, etc.; directed the early issuance of guidelines for implementing Clause 7, Article 10 of the Law on Social Insurance on handling measures in necessary cases to protect the legitimate rights and interests of employees regarding social insurance; recommended that the Prime Minister direct the State Bank to have preferential interest rate policies for workers to buy houses in industrial parks and export processing zones, etc./.

According to VOV