In the 2018-2023 term, despite facing many challenges, some of which are unprecedented, Vietnam Trade Unions at all levels have persevered in overcoming difficulties, implementing many practical and specific solutions to protect the rights and interests of union members and workers, contributing to building trust and affirming the role of trade unions in the new context.
 |
| General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong presented flowers to congratulate the 12th Vietnam Trade Union Congress. (Photo: CPV) |
Facing numerous challenges
The Resolution of the 12th Vietnam Trade Union Congress was implemented in the context of the world and regional situation developing faster and more complicated than forecast. In the first years of the term, trade unions at all levels implemented the Resolution in favorable conditions as the macro economy was stable, inflation was controlled, and the growth rate was quite good.
However, since the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has broken out, along with the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, strategic competition among major countries, armed conflicts, and disruptions of the global supply chain have directly and comprehensively affected the employment, income and lives of union members, workers, and union activities.
 |
| Member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor Nguyen Dinh Khang encouraged and presented gifts to Bac Ninh workers and laborers in difficult circumstances and affected by COVID-19. (Photo: CPV) |
When the epidemic is controlled, some workers moved from localities with many industrial zones to their hometowns, and some moved from areas with labor relations to areas without labor relations. Many officials, civil servants and public employees quit their jobs and transfered to jobs in the private sector, especially in the fields of health and education.
Regional minimum wages and base wages have not increased for a number of years. The delay in salary reform according to Resolution 27-NQ/TW dated May 21, 2018 due to objective reasons and the policy of streamlining staff and rearranging the apparatus in administrative areas and public service units caused anxiety among a section of cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers.
Performing role of protecting legal and legitimate rights and interests of union members and workers
In that context, according to Member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor Nguyen Dinh Khang, Vietnam Trade Union continues to innovate in organization, content, and operating methods, with the efforts of trade union officials, union members, workers, and trade union activities continuing to change, especially in representing, caring for, and protecting the legal and legitimate rights and interests of union members and workers.
 |
| Discount sales booth at the "Tet Reunion" Program for workers and laborers. (Photo: CPV) |
The highlight of that term was the active, proactive and innovative participation in developing policies and laws with over 300 written comments, recommendations and proposals to the Party and State on contents related to legal and legitimate rights and interests of workers and trade unions. Over the past 5 years, the National Wage Council proposed raising the regional minimum wage by 25.34 %.
Dialogue activities and collective bargaining have been enhanced with many innovations. 15,832 new collective labor agreements were signed, bringing the total number of signed collective labor agreements to 42,550.
Occupational safety and hygiene were also of concern with 27,111 enterprises establishing a network of safety and hygiene. There were nearly 100,000 projects, initiatives and topics related to occupational safety and hygiene implemented.
Concentrating resources and deploying many new models
The term of the 12th Vietnam Trade Union Congress witnessed many models of taking care of union members and workers, as well as promulgating many major policies to support workers affected by COVID-19, losing or reducing their jobs; contributing to improving the material and spiritual lives of union members and workers.
 |
| "Zero supermarket bus" helps many union members and workers ease difficulties in facing the COVID-19 epidemic. (Photo: CPV) |
During the term, more than 30 million union members and workers in difficult circumstances were visited, encouraged, and given gifts during Tet holiday, worth over 28 trillion VND. Trade unions at all levels have visited and supported union members and workers in difficult circumstances, with serious diseases, labor accidents, and occupational diseases with a total amount of more than 3,600 billion VND.
The “Trade Union Shelter” program supported more than 14,000 workers to build and repair houses with a total amount of more than 500 billion VND, along with tens of thousands of “gratitude houses” and “great solidarity houses” built.
As many as 13 employment capital funds helped nearly 3 million union members and workers borrow a total amount of trillions of VND. The Trade Union’s system of vocational training and education establishments provided training and vocational training to more than 40,000 workers on average yearly.
Accompanying union members and workers left impressions
It can be said that before, during and after the COVID-19 epidemic, along with being active and proactive in epidemic prevention, the Vietnam Trade Union has issued and participated in developing many policies to support workers as well as promptly visiting, encouraging and giving gifts to workers and relatives of workers affected by COVID-19 with a total amount of nearly 6 trillion VND.
The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor coordinated with Vietnam Television to organize the program “Vietnam aspires for peace” to honor officials, union members, and workers participating in epidemic prevention and control.
It organized the song writing contest attracting 1,400 songs by more than 950 authors and groups of authors, and a video clip contest “Unforgettable moments” with more than 43,000 video clips, drawing more than 250 million views on the social networking platform TikTok.
The political report submitted to the 13th Vietnam Trade Union Congress also commented: Despite many difficulties and challenges compared to forecasts over the past 5 years, with the efforts of union officials and union members, workers, trade union activities continue to change, especially in representing, caring for, and protecting the legal and legitimate rights and interests of union members and workers./.