Democratic regulations - rare in businesses!

(Baonghean) - The implementation of grassroots democracy regulations (GDC) at the workplace in the enterprise sector according to Decree 60/2013/ND-CP aims to contribute to the effective implementation of the production and business management mechanism, ensuring flexibility and efficiency. However, the implementation of GDC in this type in our province still faces many difficulties and shortcomings.

Connecting businesses and employees

According to the assessment of the Provincial Steering Committee for the implementation of the QCDC, the 22/12 Construction and Installation Joint Stock Company, Hung Nguyen District is an enterprise that has implemented this content well. With the viewpoint of creating conditions and caring for the legitimate interests of employees, they will feel secure in contributing and serving the company. Therefore, always create conditions for workers to participate in monitoring and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of employees such as: Building salary regulations, emulation and reward regulations.

Other policies related to employee benefits are publicly known, employees are allowed to contribute opinions, make decisions, be monitored and inspected through annual employee conferences and make direct proposals. Every year, the company organizes periodic dialogues at the workplace, in which the issues that employees are mainly concerned about are jobs and income, product quality, etc.

Nghe An Business Bloc Delegation organizes free medical examination and treatment for workers of Bac Vinh Industrial Park. Photo: Le Thanh

The Company has signed a Collective Labor Agreement between the Director and the Executive Board of the Trade Union, issued a Regulation on coordination between the profession and the Trade Union. Thanks to the good implementation of the QCDCCS, it has brought about increasingly high production and business efficiency, contributing to improving the lives of workers, with the average salary income in 2016 reaching 5.4 million VND/person/month.

Similarly, at the Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade - Nghe An branch, the organization of the Labor Conference was organized seriously and methodically by the unit, through which the Board of Directors publicly and transparently disclosed the results of production and business activities, and satisfactorily answered the recommendations and problems of the employees. Right from the beginning of the year, the unit assigned production and business tasks to each collective and individual in charge.

Monthly assessment of implementation results, pointing out existing problems, finding optimal solutions to complete and promote production and business. Through the implementation of QCDCCS, it has created a driving force that contributes significantly to the successful implementation of production and business tasks. By the end of 2016, the branch's locally mobilized capital reached 3,235 billion VND, reaching 113% compared to the same period last year; outstanding investment loans were 3,160 billion VND, reaching 107% of the plan.

“The labor conference at the unit has aroused resources and promoted the creativity of workers. They are informed and have the opportunity to give opinions on issues related to their rights, obligations and responsibilities. Thereby, it has contributed to maintaining harmonious, stable and progressive labor relations at the enterprise, creating conditions for the company to produce and do business effectively” - Mr. Van Vu Thong - Deputy Director of the Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade - Nghe An Branch said.

The implementation of QCDCCS at the workplace in enterprises has a positive impact on raising the sense of responsibility of enterprises and employees in the process of production and business activities, contributing to building labor relations, protecting the legitimate rights and interests of employees, improving production and business efficiency...

Businesses "avoid" inspection

The effects and benefits are like that, but in reality, many businesses are still not serious, and still take lightly the implementation of QCDCCS, especially in the form of private enterprises and enterprises with foreign investment capital, which leads to unfortunate strikes or "fake news but not satisfied" between workers and business owners... For example, on October 3, 2016, more than 3,000 workers of Matrix Company Limited located in Bac Vinh Industrial Park, Vinh City, simultaneously quit their jobs to demand their rights.

Brick and tile production at Construction and Installation Materials Production Joint Stock Company. Photo: Le Thanh

The reason for this situation is that workers are too frustrated with the pressure of work as well as the working environment. This is also the third strike that has occurred at this Company since it started operating. The previous strikes took place in 2010 and 2012. At this time, the Company's leaders had to organize a dialogue with workers to resolve the workers' petitions and requests related to the regime and benefits of workers.

Through the inspection of the Steering Committee of Decree 60/2013/ND-CP, the implementation of QCDCCS has only been carried out in state-owned enterprises, while this sector only accounts for a very small proportion, only 0.4% of the total number of enterprises.

In the field of foreign-invested enterprises and private enterprises, there are still many shortcomings such as: Most units have not held conferences to collect employees' opinions on business activities; have not organized dialogues with employees; some enterprises have not implemented labor law regulations well, have not created enough jobs, and have not ensured income for employees. The situation of debt and late payment of insurance still exists in some enterprises. Many enterprises sign labor contracts of less than 3 months and make verbal agreements with employees to "circumvent the law" and avoid paying social insurance for employees.

Although the province established a Steering Committee for Decree 60/2013/ND-CP with the task of guiding, propagating, inspecting and urging the implementation of QCDCCS in enterprises, the inspection of QCDCCS implementation by this Committee is very difficult because the number of enterprises is large (over 16,000), spread over a wide area, while the compliance awareness of enterprises is not high, although the inspection team has a plan and an official dispatch instructing the inspection content sent to each enterprise, many enterprises do not cooperate. Through inspection, violations in the implementation of QCDCCS of units are discovered but there is no authority to impose penalties" - said comrade Phan Chi Thanh - officer of the Department of Planning and Investment, secretary of the Steering Committee for Decree 60/2013/NDCP.

Another problem is that in implementing Decree 60/2013/NDCP, enterprises must establish grassroots unions to represent workers, but so far, only 400 out of 16,000 enterprises in the province have organized unions. “While the role of grassroots unions depends on the Board of Directors and the Board of Management of the company, they do not dare to fight for and demand the rights of workers.

“Without a strong trade union, it is difficult to ensure the rights of workers,” said Mr. Nguyen Tu Phuong, Chairman of the Provincial Federation of Labor. The reason for this situation is that some employers’ awareness of the implementation of the Labor Code is still inadequate and not taken seriously. It is worth mentioning that many workers are not aware of their rights. Meanwhile, there are no sanctions for violations of the implementation of the Labor Code.

In order to effectively implement the QCDCCS in the enterprise type, Director of the Department of Planning and Investment Nguyen Van Do - Head of the Steering Committee of Decree 60/2013/ND-CP of the province said: "It is necessary to have the attention and close direction of the Party Committee, strengthen propaganda and mobilization activities and the key role of the grassroots trade union organization. Propaganda to enhance the responsibility of employers to ensure democracy in enterprises, any enterprise that does not comply must be strictly punished. At the same time, raise awareness of employees; strengthen the inspection and supervision of State management agencies".

Le Thanh