The workshop "Enhancing the role of trade unions in monitoring compliance with the law at the workplace" was organized by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor in collaboration with Better Work Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City on December 26.
The workshop was attended by more than 50 union officials from southern provinces and cities.
Speaking at the opening of the conference, Ms. Ho Thi Kim Ngan - Deputy Head of the Labor Relations Department, Vietnam General Confederation of Labor - said that on March 19, 2024, the Central Party Secretariat issued Directive No. 31-CT/TW "On continuing to strengthen the Party's leadership over occupational safety and hygiene in the new situation".
In accordance with the directive, the Secretariat requires: Ensuring the rights of workers to work in safe and hygienic working conditions and protecting the assets, rights, and legitimate interests of the State, enterprises, organizations, and individuals; Raising awareness and responsibility of Party committees, Party organizations, authorities, agencies, organizations, enterprises, and workers.
At the same time, strengthen leadership, direction, guidance, inspection and supervision of the implementation of the Party's guidelines, policies and laws of the State; closely combine proactive prevention with detection and strict handling of violations. Promote the responsibility of leaders for occupational safety and hygiene, considering this a regular, long-term task of great significance in socio-economic development, ensuring human security, contributing to the sustainable development of enterprises and the country.
"Strengthening the supervision of compliance with the law at the workplace in general, and supervision of occupational safety and hygiene in particular, is considered a key and important task of trade unions. It is necessary to have solutions to enhance the role of trade unions in supervising compliance with the law at the workplace to ensure the rights of employees. The workshop aims to assess the role of trade unions in supervising the implementation of the law, focusing on occupational safety and hygiene at the workplace, contributing to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of employees; contributing to implementing the breakthrough of the Resolution of the 13th Congress of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor", said Ms. Kim Ngan.
The workshop heard many opinions from union officials regarding monitoring compliance with the law in the workplace.
According to Mr. Le Dinh Quang - Deputy Head of Policy and Law Department, Vietnam General Confederation of Labor - The 2013 Constitution and current legal documents all stipulate the rights and responsibilities of trade union organizations to supervise the labor field.
During the period of 2018 - 2023, Vietnam Trade Unions at all levels supervised over 166,000 meetings focusing on the implementation of laws on labor, trade unions, social insurance, health insurance, and occupational safety and hygiene, thereby helping more than 27,000 employees to resolve policies and regimes with a total compensation and support amount of over 113 billion VND.
“Through monitoring, many limitations, shortcomings, and violations in the implementation of policies and laws have been discovered, corrected, and promptly handled. Many recommendations, amendments, and supplements to policies and laws have been proposed by trade unions at all levels, while at the same time, agencies, units, and enterprises are directly informed, guided, and answered about the law, contributing to protecting the legitimate and legal rights and interests of union members and employees, and improving the efficiency of business operations,” Mr. Quang emphasized.
The workshop also heard Mr. Le Dinh Quang introduce some new points of the Trade Union Law (amended and supplemented) in 2024.
