Seeking union members from each business
Mr. Le Van Dai - Standing Vice Chairman of the Da Nang City Labor Federation said: In 2026, the Da Nang City Labor Federation set a target to develop 26,000 new union members.
Up to this point, the whole city has developed 28,367 union members, reaching 109.1% of the plan, exceeding 2,367 union members, equivalent to about 9.1%. Along with that, 385 grassroots trade unions have been newly established.
These figures are noteworthy, but what is more noteworthy is the way Da Nang Trade Union organizes and implements the task of developing union members and establishing grassroots trade unions.
Instead of assigning targets and waiting for grassroots levels to report results, the Standing Committee of the City Labor Federation specifically assigned officials to be in charge of each area, from wards, communes to each industrial park.
Each area has a person in charge and a coordinator. Officials assigned tasks must grasp which businesses are operating, how many workers are there, which businesses do not yet have Trade Union organizations and where there is a possibility of establishing grassroots trade unions.
After having the data, officials go down to the enterprise to survey the production situation, the number of workers, the thoughts of workers as well as the attitude of business owners.
In particular, approaching workers is also being implemented more flexibly. Not only meeting at work, Trade Union officials can also go to boarding houses, meet overtime or through Zalo groups, social networks to propagate and mobilize.
That is an important change in the way of thinking about union member development: instead of waiting for workers to come to the Trade Union, the Trade Union proactively comes to workers.
Clearly assigning people and areas helps officials better grasp the source of union member development, and at the same time create specific responsibilities in the process of organization and implementation. The goal is not only to complete the assigned targets but more importantly to expand the presence of the Trade Union organization in places with many workers" - Mr. Dai said.
Not stopping at the founding ceremony
Another noteworthy point in the way the Da Nang Trade Union works is that the development of union members does not end when the grassroots trade union is established.
Assigned officials also have to continue to guide the grassroots trade union executive committee to build operating regulations, regulations on coordination with businesses, open accounts, collect union fees and organize initial care activities for union members.
Professional departments of the City Labor Federation also participate in supporting grassroots trade unions in dialogue, negotiation and signing collective labor agreements, especially in contents directly related to salaries, bonuses, meals, working hours and rest.
This is a very important stage, because establishing another grassroots trade union is not the ultimate goal. What workers care about is what the Trade Union organization brings them after joining.
A grassroots trade union is only truly vibrant when workers find there a place to represent, protect their rights and support them when they encounter difficulties.
Therefore, union member development cannot only chase after quantity. The figure of 28,367 union members or 385 grassroots trade unions is a noteworthy result, but more importantly, how to make those union members stick with the organization for a long time.
Da Nang's approach also has a noteworthy point of linking the task of developing union members and establishing grassroots trade unions with the responsibility of each official. Progress is monitored regularly; difficulties and obstacles in each area must be reported for timely removal.
When responsibility is no longer included in a common report but is placed in each area, each official, the work will be more specific and the results will also be easier to measure.
