Training and improving the qualifications of union officials
Ms. Phan Thi Thien - Chairwoman of Long Cuong Company Trade Union (Thu Duc City): The National Assembly has passed the Trade Union Law (amended) and will take effect from July 1, 2025, which adds many rights of trade union organizations, such as the right to social criticism, to preside over supervision, foreign workers or organizations representing employees at enterprises have the right to join the Vietnam Trade Union.
This will create new advantages and challenges for the activities of trade union organizations and trade union cadres. Therefore, each trade union cadre must improve his/her qualifications, knowledge and skills to meet the requirements of the task.
I hope that the Vietnam Trade Union will have training programs to improve the qualifications of union officials, especially grassroots trade unions, to meet the tasks in the new situation.
I also hope that the State will build more nurseries for workers' children in places with a large concentration of workers so that they can feel secure in leaving their children at work. Because in reality, in many places, workers still have to leave their children in nursery groups or have someone else look after them, or even send their children back to their hometowns for their grandparents to take care of, affecting the health and psychological development of children.
Continue salary reform in the business sector
Mr. Quach Man Nghia - Chairman of the Trade Union of Always Company (Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone): Currently, the salary and income of workers in the enterprise sector are not high. Many workers have to work overtime to earn more income to cover their own living expenses, their families' expenses and their children's education.
Many workers also have to borrow money from CEP Microfinance Organization to make a living or cover expenses in times of sudden difficulties.
However, the current maximum loan amount provided by CEP Microfinance Organization is only 50 million VND, which is not enough to meet the requirements for home repairs; expenses when sick, seriously ill or needing to send children to build a family, exporting labor...
We hope that the State will promote wage reform in the enterprise sector so that workers can increase their income, gradually reduce it, and eventually not need to work overtime to make ends meet and have more time off to take care of themselves and their families.
I hope the State and the Vietnam Trade Union have more programs to lend workers capital with low interest rates and higher loan amounts so that they can meet the actual needs of workers, avoiding workers having to borrow from black credit when in urgent need.
The union quickly implemented the construction of social housing.
Mr. Truong Hoang Tam - Chairman of the Trade Union of Printing Joint Stock Company No. 7: Most workers from the provinces who come to Ho Chi Minh City to work still have to stay in rented accommodation with many inadequate living conditions and environments.
The 2023 Housing Law stipulates that the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (VGCL) is the governing body for investment projects to build social housing using trade union financial resources for workers and laborers to rent. The 2024 revised Trade Union Law also stipulates the right of union members to enjoy the social housing rental policy of the VGCL.
Therefore, I hope that in 2025, the Vietnam Trade Union will quickly build social housing, thereby helping union members and workers to enjoy social housing care policies.
