Equip workers with knowledge to protect themselves

Khanh Ly (Performed)• May 7, 2019 15:49

(Baonghean) - Mr. Nguyen Chi Cong - Vice Chairman of the Provincial Labor Federation discussed solutions to help workers raise awareness and understanding of the law to protect themselves in labor relations.

PV: Could you please tell us about the initial results of the Free Legal Advice Point for workers and laborers?

Mr. Nguyen Chi Cong:In early 2019, Nghe An Provincial Federation of Labor piloted the establishment of a "Free Legal Advice Point" for workers and laborers at Bac Vinh Industrial Park, located at 340 Dang Thai Mai Street, Vinh City. In April 2019, the Provincial Federation of Labor continued to establish a Legal Advice Point and receive union members and laborers at 71A Ho Tung Mau, Vinh City.

Initially, the operation of the Free Legal Advice Point still faces many difficulties. In the coming time, in June 2019, the Provincial Federation of Labor will conduct a preliminary review of the effectiveness of the operation of the Free Legal Advice Points, in order to find better solutions to bring the law to workers in the most convenient way.

Đại diện LĐLĐ tỉnh tuyên truyền Luật lao động tại Công Ty TNHH HaViNa Kim Liên. Ảnh: Thu Thủy

Representative of the Provincial Federation of Labor propagates the Labor Law at HaViNa Kim Lien Company Limited. Photo: Thu Thuy

In addition to providing direct advice to workers, the Provincial Federation of Labor also organizes propaganda and legal advice via text messages and Facebook; creates 02 hotline numbers to receive feedback from workers. Through reception, the Provincial Federation of Labor has directly supported and protected the rights of workers. Typically, in March 2019, through feedback from workers by phone, the Provincial Federation of Labor directly protected 7 female workers, requiring the employer to pay more than 170 million VND in maternity social insurance benefits.

PV: How are activities to protect the legitimate rights and interests of workers implemented, sir?

Mr. Nguyen Chi Cong:In addition to promoting propaganda, dissemination, consultation, and legal dialogue to workers in many forms, so that workers know and proactively protect themselves. The Provincial Federation of Labor has directed trade unions at all levels to focus on monitoring, tracking, and grasping the situation of salary and bonus payment to workers; coordinating with competent agencies to inspect and examine law compliance in enterprises; Providing legal support for workers to file labor lawsuits in court; Organizing meetings with Directors and Chairmen of trade unions of FDI enterprises and enterprises with a large number of workers in the area; participating in building and giving opinions on law making...

Also in 2018, Nghe An Provincial Federation of Labor organized a meeting and summarized the opinions of Directors and Chairmen of Trade Unions of 26 FDI enterprises and enterprises with a large number of workers in the area, requesting the People's Committee of Nghe An province to direct competent agencies to resolve or provide feedback on related issues. Participated with Nghe An Provincial Social Insurance to conduct interdisciplinary inspections at 10 enterprises that owed social insurance to employees; Participated in the supervision delegation of the Provincial People's Council to supervise the implementation of social insurance policies and occupational safety and hygiene at enterprises in industrial parks. The supervision results helped the Provincial People's Council issue a resolution on the implementation of policies and occupational safety and hygiene at the 8th session of the 17th Provincial People's Council.

The implementation of the Regulations on Democracy and Dialogue at Workplace according to Decree 149/2018/ND-CP and Resolution 01/NQ-DCT of the Presidium of the General Confederation of Labor on "Innovation and improvement of the quality of negotiation, signing and implementation of collective labor agreements has been carried out through many specific activities. The average result is that 77% of enterprises have collective labor agreements.

However, in general, the quality of collective labor agreements is still low, there is no collective labor agreement reaching type A; The rate of units organizing labor conferences is not high (only 56%); The rate of enterprises conducting dialogue at the workplace is limited; awareness of workers in general, and employees in particular, about policies and laws related to their immediate rights and interests is still inadequate...

In 2018, the Provincial Federation of Labor participated in resolving 1 strike, 3 collective labor disputes; provided legal support to 9 employees in filing 9 labor lawsuits at the People's Court. Legal propaganda combined with dialogue and legal advice continued to be carried out at 5 enterprises with more than 1,000 employees participating.

PV: So, what is the solution of the Provincial Federation of Labor to bring legal policies closer to workers and laborers in the coming time, sir?

Mr. Nguyen Chi Cong:In order to help workers in industrial parks, where the majority of the workforce is young and has limited knowledge of the law, to access legal policy issues, in addition to improving the efficiency of the Free Legal Advice Center, the Provincial Federation of Labor will innovate the content and form of propaganda to bring dry and difficult-to-understand legal knowledge closer to workers. Some of the solutions we are currently implementing are legal propaganda via text messages. Currently, every month we coordinate with Viettel Nghe An to send 30,000 text messages to 15,000 workers working at FDI enterprises. New legal documents are updated on Facebook of the Nghe An Provincial Federation of Labor...

Cán bộ Trung tâm tư vấn pháp luật công đoàn ( LĐLĐ tỉnh) tư vấn cho người lao động. Ảnh: K.L

Officials from the Trade Union Legal Consulting Center (Provincial Labor Federation) advise workers. Photo: KL

In addition, according to the 2019 plan, the Provincial Federation of Labor will establish a group to support workers in filing labor lawsuits at the Court; Organize the supervision of the implementation of Circular 25/2018/TT-BCT of the Ministry of Industry and Trade on reducing electricity prices for workers in worker dormitories. Deploy the development and implementation of the Project to improve the bargaining capacity of grassroots trade unions in enterprises in the spirit of Resolution No. 27-NQ/TW on reforming wage policies for cadres, civil servants, public employees, armed forces and workers in enterprises of the Central Executive Committee (term XII). Direct the District Federation of Labor and Industry Trade Unions to review the term and quality of Collective Labor Agreements to guide enterprises in negotiating and re-signing, striving for 80% of enterprises with trade unions to sign Collective Labor Agreements, of which 45% of the agreements have quality of grade B or higher; Pilot model implementation: "Guidelines for dialogue in written form" at some enterprises with a large number of workers.

LĐLĐ tỉnh tổ chức truyền thông pháp luật lao động, phòng chống ma túy cho người lao động tại huyện Kỳ Sơn. Ảnh: Phước Anh

The Provincial Federation of Labor organizes communication on labor law and drug prevention for workers in Ky Son district. Photo: Phuoc Anh

In addition, the Provincial Federation of Labor will also organize mobile legal propaganda classes at enterprises and train key union officials on legal consultancy, settlement of labor disputes, strikes and participation in court proceedings. Thereby, helping employees know and properly exercise their rights and obligations, making labor relations stable, promoting production and business efficiency, contributing to improving the material and spiritual life of employees.

PV: Thank you!