Happy after-hours
After a week of work, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh - a worker at Hoa Cam Industrial Park, Da Nang - did not rush back to her rented room but went with her colleagues to the badminton court in the worker's activity area to mobilize.
Since the Trade Union organized many sports and cultural activities, our weekends are much happier. Playing sports both improves health and has the opportunity to meet friends after stressful working days" - Ms. Hanh shared.
Such weekend afternoons of Ms. Hanh are becoming a familiar image in many industrial parks in Da Nang. That is also a vivid proof of the changes after 10 years of implementing Directive No. 52-CT/TW of the Secretariat on strengthening the Party's leadership in improving the spiritual life of workers in industrial parks and export processing zones.
If previously, caring for workers was often mentioned with salaries, income or social security regimes, now, spiritual and cultural life has become an important content in the activities of the Trade Union organization. In the past 10 years, Da Nang Trade Union levels have coordinated to organize nearly 900 art performances and sports festivals from grassroots level to city level. In enterprises and localities alone, nearly 19,500 cultural and sports activities have been organized with nearly one million workers participating.
These figures not only reflect the scale of operations but also show changes in the way workers are cared for. Instead of organizing according to trends, programs are increasingly aimed at the actual needs of workers.
Investing in institutions for long-term care
If cultural activities bring joy after each shift, the system of cultural institutions creates a sustainable foundation to improve the spiritual life of workers. In recent years, the Da Nang Trade Union has gradually built and promoted the effectiveness of many projects serving workers.
At Hoa Cam Industrial Park, the worker housing area is invested with legal bookshelves and football and badminton fields, creating a healthy living space after working hours. The Hoa Khanh Industrial Park Workers' Culture and Sports Center with a multi-purpose hall and many sports fields has become a familiar venue for tournaments, exchange programs and community activities. In addition, the City Labor Culture House with a hall of 1,200 seats, a multi-purpose gymnasium and many auxiliary items continues to be a place to organize major events of the Trade Union organization.
Not only investing in facilities, the City Labor Federation also built trade union cultural activity points right at the enterprise. Up to now, 5 points have been put into operation, helping workers have a place to read books, learn about laws, interact and rest after working hours. These institutions show that taking care of spiritual life is gradually shifting from short-term activities to long-term and sustainable investment.
According to Mr. Le Van Dai - Standing Vice Chairman of Da Nang City Labor Federation, the results achieved after 10 years are thanks to the leadership attention of Party committees and authorities at all levels, along with the proactiveness and creativity of the Trade Union organization in finding models suitable to the needs of workers. Cultural and sports activities and investment in cultural institution systems not only aim to improve the spiritual life of workers but also contribute to building a civilized working environment, strengthening the connection between workers and businesses and the Trade Union organization.
