Coordinate to create synergy
Contributing opinions to the Draft Report of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (XIII term) at the XIV Congress of the Vietnam Trade Union, term 2026-2031, Ms. Lam Thi Vy - Chairwoman of the Trade Union of Nam Phuoc commune, Da Nang city, said that in the new period, if the Trade Union organization wants to perform well its role of representing, caring for, and protecting workers, it must innovate its ways of doing things.
In particular, it is necessary to know how to coordinate to create comprehensive strength; must stick to the grassroots level, be close to union members, close to workers, and at the same time, prepare good conditions for organizational development for each area in the coming time.
According to Ms. Vy, innovating the way of doing things is not just a mere assessment, but this has been verified from the actual operation of Nam Phuoc Commune Trade Union in the past time.
Nam Phuoc Commune Trade Union is assigned to receive and manage 20 grassroots trade unions in 3 communes Nam Phuoc, Duy Nghia, Thu Bon from July 4, 2025, with many types of labor from public non-business units, non-state sector enterprises to markets and fishing trade unions.
From that reality, the Commune Trade Union determined that to perform well the function of representing, caring for, and protecting union members and workers, it is necessary to attach importance to coordination with the government, business owners and related organizations; considering this as a condition to grasp the situation, stick to the grassroots level and organize practical activities.
In the early days of implementing the new model, the Commune Trade Union faced many difficulties. In addition to the large area, the needs of each labor group are different, the staff is still thin, many units operate concurrently, and trade unions have almost no stable revenue, the greater difficulty is that this is an inter-communal management model, while the headquarters are located in Nam Phuoc.
Therefore, if you want to operate effectively in all 3 areas, you cannot only rely on the administrative relationship where the headquarters is located, but must proactively create a coordination mechanism and the companionship of Party committees, authorities, Fatherland Fronts, mass organizations and related agencies in both Duy Nghia and Thu Bon. This is also a difference of the inter-communal management trade union model compared to trade unions operating within 1 commune.
From there, the Commune Trade Union determined that the first step is to go to the grassroots level to both approach and grasp the situation, gradually understand the actual situation of organization, operation and needs of each unit and each group of workers; thereby selecting coordination content and orienting appropriate ways of doing things.
Expanding care work
From that approach, initial results have been shown quite clearly. Up to now, Nam Phuoc Commune Trade Union manages 2,924 union members out of a total of 5,300 workers, an increase of 917 union members compared to the time of initial reception.
A prominent content is that care work is gradually expanded by mobilizing and connecting more resources. Care is implemented in the direction of combining regular, occasional and unscheduled; focusing on union member welfare, visiting and inquiring about workers in difficult circumstances, suffering from dangerous diseases, facing risks in life and supporting livelihood improvement when conditions permit.
For children of union members and workers in difficult circumstances, the Commune Trade Union has built the Club "Wings of Dreams - For the Future of Children of Union Members and Workers" in the direction of socialization.
The "Trade Union Pig Sharing" model is also continuing to be maintained and replicated in grassroots trade unions to promptly support union members and workers who are sick, in distress, or have sudden difficulties. What is precious is that through these activities, union members and workers clearly see that the Trade Union organization always accompanies when necessary.
For vulnerable workers, especially fishing trade unions, the Commune Trade Union organizes twinning between grassroots trade unions with conditions and trade unions that are still in difficulty.
The model point is the grassroots Trade Union of the My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board twinning with Duy Vinh Fisheries Union, with practical support contents such as financial support, awarding national flags, supporting occupational accident insurance at sea, garbage collection tools; and at the same time taking advantage of local resources to further support livelihoods for fishermen.
From this model, there are currently 2 grassroots trade unions, Phan Ngoc Construction Materials Co., Ltd. and Nam Hoi An Development Co., Ltd., registering to accompany and replicate at Duy Nghia and Duy Hai trade unions.
In health care, the Commune Trade Union has a proactive approach right from the beginning of 2026: surveying needs, developing plans and mobilizing resources to organize implementation.
On that basis, the Commune Trade Union coordinated to sign agreements with leaders of 3 health units with affiliated grassroots trade unions, creating a platform for deploying activities of medical examination, consultation, disease screening, medicine distribution and free health care for union members and workers in the area.
To date, more than 1,200 health check-ups, consultations and health care vouchers have been implemented, with a total value of over 700 million VND. The Commune Trade Union also launched a section to guide health care according to each topic on the Nam Phuoc Commune Trade Union Page, creating an additional practical information channel for union members and workers to be more proactive in taking care of their own and family health.
After nearly a year of operating according to the new model, Nam Phuoc Commune Trade Union has gradually formed a way of doing things suitable to the inter-communal management model.
From both receiving the organization and grasping the area, now the Commune Trade Union has gradually grasped the characteristics and difficulties of each type of grassroots trade union, each group of workers and each content that needs coordination; at the same time, knowing how to promote the strengths of each unit to both support the grassroots trade union and create conditions for the grassroots trade union to promote expertise and role in the unit.
Through this, the role of the Trade Union organization is increasingly clearer to unit leaders, union members and workers; and at the same time shows that the direction of the Commune Trade Union is suitable to the actual situation of the area and the requirements of the new model.
