Propagating the law to workers through social networks

Removing obstacles for workers

His son suffered a 90% disability in a work accident but was not compensated. Through the Facebook page of the Nghe An Provincial Labor Federation, Mr. Nguyen Khac Thieu, residing in Yen Thanh district, asked for advice on how to resolve the issue to ensure his son's rights. After receiving the information, the Provincial Labor Federation staff provided legal advice to Mr. Thieu.

As a result, the company where Mr. Thieu's son worked compensated hundreds of millions of dong to the workers. Or the case of Ms. Vo Thi Bich (living in Nam Dan district) also went to the Facebook of the Provincial Labor Federation to ask about the issue of not being paid wages and she was instructed by the information reception officer to write a petition to the Provincial Labor Federation, after that the Provincial Labor Federation sent related departments to Ms. Bich's company to work, as a result the company admitted the mistake and paid all the money owed to Ms. Bich. Those are just two of many cases where workers asked for advice via Facebook and were promptly resolved by the Provincial Labor Federation.

Provincial Labor Federation officials provide legal advice to people via Facebook. Photo: GH

Realizing that Facebook is an effective channel for information exchange, which can be used to disseminate information and knowledge about new laws and policies... to workers, since 2018, the Provincial Federation of Labor has issued a pilot project to disseminate laws through the text message system and Facebook.

From this project, the Provincial Federation of Labor has opened the page “Nghe An Provincial Federation of Labor” on Facebook. In addition to propagating and disseminating laws, updating new policies, and providing legal advice, the Facebook page is also a channel to propagate and promote the image of trade union activities to union members and the online community, especially welfare programs related to workers.

Not only that, this is also a means of providing official counter-information to combat bad and toxic information, and orienting information on prominent issues in the province and the country directly related to workers.

Before issuing the project, the Provincial Federation of Labor surveyed the actual needs of workers in industrial parks and found that propaganda via Facebook is suitable for the majority of workers, especially young workers when almost everyone has a smartphone to easily access the internet and social networks.

Effective information channel

Although it is only a pilot operation, the provincial labor federation's Facebook page currently has about 1,499 likes and 1,511 followers, and is increasingly proving to be a useful information channel for workers.

Mr. Nguyen Chi Cong - Vice Chairman of the Provincial Federation of Labor said: "Putting information on Facebook not only has a high spread, expanding the recipients but also saves both time and money. This is a way to innovate the content and form of propaganda, to promote the delivery of the Party's policies and the State's laws to cadres, union members and workers."

Trade union officials train workers in dialogue on Social Insurance Law and Labor Law. Photo: Facebook of Provincial Labor Federation

At the same time, it is also a forum for workers to interact, exchange, and connect directly with the trade union organization to access information in the most accurate and fastest way. In fact, through social networks, there have been many cases where the Provincial Federation of Labor has promptly grasped the thoughts and aspirations of workers to have timely handling directions.

Recently, when receiving feedback about workers not receiving a discount on monthly bus tickets from a local bus company under the union member welfare program, the leaders of the Provincial Labor Federation directed the Chairman of the Transport Industry Union to take action.

After that, the Transport Trade Union directly worked with the company and officially announced this issue. The announcement was publicly posted on the Facebook page of the Provincial Federation of Labor, stating that the company committed to properly implementing the cooperation agreement signed with the Nghe An Transport Trade Union and requested that employees who come to the company to buy monthly tickets must have a letter of introduction from the grassroots trade union; the list of union members and employees buying monthly tickets (for units with many people) is provided by the grassroots trade union where union members and employees are managed so that the company has a basis for selling tickets.

Representative of the Provincial Federation of Labor propagates the Labor Law at Haivina Kim Lien Company Limited. Photo: illustration

Ms. Phan My Le, a worker at Matrix Vinh Co., Ltd. (Bac Vinh Industrial Park) said: Due to the nature of their work, workers do not have time to go to the consulting office, and employers cannot arrange time for workers to learn about the law. Therefore, propagating the law on Facebook is necessary, fast and convenient, because nowadays everyone has a smartphone and can access it at any time. Not to mention, there are contents that are the same issues that many people are wondering about, so it will be effective for many people at the same time, accordingly, the number of people interacting will be greater, the issues will be answered more deeply... According to Ms. Le, in addition to answering and advising on legal issues, the content posted on Facebook also needs to be selective, focusing on issues related to the immediate interests of workers.

According to Mr. Tran Cong Danh - Head of the Provincial Federation of Labor's Inspection Committee: when receiving information, simple matters will be consulted and answered directly, issues that require time to research documents will be answered by appointment, and for complicated cases, workers can be invited for direct consultation. In addition to the software tracking book, the department in charge of the Facebook page also has a tracking notebook connected to the direct consulting department at the consulting office of the Provincial Federation of Labor to ensure timely legal consultation and support, especially for issues directly related to workers' rights.

Provincial Labor Federation officials (left) provide direct legal advice to workers. Photo: GH

In addition to legal consulting, the provincial labor federation's Facebook page also regularly updates official information related to issues that workers are interested in, such as increasing retirement age; salary policy, social insurance, occupational safety and hygiene, introducing welfare programs, social security activities of the Trade Union organization...

In addition to propaganda via Facebook, the Provincial Federation of Labor also applies the form of propaganda via text messages, but only with information that is of the nature of announcing events, with short content. Because propaganda via text messages will cost money, text messages have few characters, so it is difficult to convey the content that needs to be propagated...

In fact, the dissemination of legal policies through the Facebook "channel" will help employees quickly update their legal knowledge, help them know how to act to protect their legitimate rights, thereby businesses must also comply with the law and labor relations will be healthy, ensuring stable development and harmonious interests between businesses and employees.