On the eve of the New Year of the Snake 2025, Lao Dong Newspaper interviewed comrade Nguyen Dinh Khang - Member of the Party Central Committee, President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (VGCL).
Could you please tell us, compared to the current law, what are the basic new points in the Trade Union Law (amended) that has been passed?
- At the 8th session, the 15th National Assembly voted to pass the Trade Union Law (amended) with 443/456 delegates participating in the vote in favor (equal to 92.48% of the total number of National Assembly delegates). The Trade Union Law (amended) consists of 6 chapters and 37 articles, an increase of 4 articles compared to the current law, effective from July 1, 2025.
Compared to the current law, the Law on Trade Unions (amended) has a number of basic new points such as: Expanding the right to establish, join and operate trade unions for workers without labor relations; Supplementing the right to join and operate trade unions at grassroots trade unions (without the right to establish and not become trade union officials) for foreign workers working in Vietnam; Regulating the right to join the Vietnam Trade Union, an organization of workers at enterprises; Supplementing the principles of organization and operation of Vietnam Trade Unions and clarifying the principles and contents of international cooperation on trade unions; Specifying the organizational system of Vietnam Trade Unions, clearly defining and distinguishing "Vietnam Trade Unions" from "Vietnam General Confederation of Labor", clearly defining 4 levels of trade unions; at the same time affirming "Vietnam Trade Unions are the only organization representing workers at the national level in labor relations"; Supplementing and clearly defining prohibited acts; More specifically regulate the rights and responsibilities of representing, caring for and protecting the legitimate and legal rights and interests of union members and workers; Supplement the right to supervise and provide social criticism of the Union; Supplement the cases of exemption, reduction and suspension of payment of union fees; Continue to maintain the union fee payment rate at 2%, along with that, amend and supplement the regulations to clarify the principles of management and use of union finances; amend and supplement the expenditure tasks of union finances. Amend and supplement the regulations to clarify the principles of management and use of union finances; supplement the regulations that the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor implement the decentralization of collection and distribution of union fees; The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor promulgates standards, norms, spending regimes and management and use of union finances in accordance with the requirements and tasks of the union after reaching an agreement with the Government; Supplementing the responsibility of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to periodically report to the National Assembly every two years on the situation of revenue, expenditure, management and use of trade union finances. At the same time, supplementing the responsibility of the State Audit, periodically every two years, to conduct audits of the management and use of trade union finances and to conduct ad hoc audits at the request of the National Assembly, the National Assembly Standing Committee, etc.
It can be seen that the Law on Trade Unions (amended) has been passed to ensure the thorough understanding and institutionalization of the Party's innovative viewpoints and guidelines related to national construction and development, in accordance with the 2013 Constitution, ensuring the unity and uniformity of the current legal system, ensuring the absolute and comprehensive leadership of the Party over the Trade Union organization while ensuring that the Vietnam Trade Union - a large political and social organization of the working class and laborers - grows stronger, operates effectively, and attracts a large number of laborers to participate; ensuring the inheritance and preservation of the contents that have affirmed their rationality, stability, and effectiveness in the past implementation process; referring to, absorbing, and selecting international experiences that are suitable to the political system, the development requirements of the socialist-oriented market economy and international integration under the leadership of the Party.
The promulgation of the Trade Union Law (amended) has created favorable conditions for the Vietnam Trade Union to increasingly better perform its role and tasks, especially the task of representing, caring for, and protecting the legitimate and legal rights and interests of union members and workers. However, in order for the law to come into effect, trade union officials at all levels must continue to make efforts, improve their qualifications, and equip themselves with knowledge to meet new requirements and tasks.
In 2025, what will be the main focuses of trade union activities, Mr. Chairman?
- With the theme "Focus on developing union members; participating in building a clean and strong Party", trade union activities in 2025 focus on a number of tasks: Organizing propaganda and contributing ideas to build documents for party congresses at all levels towards the 14th National Party Congress. Focusing on implementing resolutions, programs and projects to implement the Resolution of the 13th Congress of the Vietnam Trade Union, Action Program No. 02/CTr-TLD dated July 20, 2021 to implement the Resolution of the 13th National Congress of the Party, Resolution 02-NQ/TW of the Politburo on Innovation in the organization and operation of Vietnam Trade Unions in the new situation. Thoroughly grasp and implement the Trade Union Law (amended). Actively research, propose and participate in developing policies and laws related to workers' rights, focusing on the Law on Employment (amended), documents guiding the implementation of the Trade Union Law (amended), and the Law on Social Insurance (amended). Perform well the task of representing and protecting the legitimate and legal rights and interests of union members and workers; Proactively implement solutions to facilitate grassroots unions to conduct negotiations and collective bargaining, focusing on wages, bonuses, working hours, rest hours, and occupational safety and hygiene. Strengthen the practice of thrift, combat waste, and focus resources on taking care of the welfare of union members and workers. Promote the development of union members, establish grassroots unions, and strive to cover grassroots unions in all qualified enterprises. Actively participate in building a clean and strong Party and government, pay attention to social supervision and criticism; focus on introducing outstanding union members for the Party to train and consider for admission.
In 2025, the Trade Union will also focus on reorganizing the trade union apparatus at all levels, on the basis of closely following the direction of the Central Committee, ensuring the principles of organization and operation of the Trade Union, meeting practical requirements, in accordance with international practices. Thoroughly overcome the overlapping of functions and tasks, division of areas and fields; streamline the organization associated with building a quality team, arranging suitable people for the job position. At the same time, actively implement digital transformation to improve the quality and efficiency of trade union activities, best serving union members and workers.
On the eve of the New Year of the Snake 2025, what would the President like to share with cadres, union members and workers nationwide?
- The New Year is an opportunity for us to look back on the past year. 2024 has passed with many achievements. On behalf of the Presidium of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, I would like to sincerely thank the team of union officials, union members, and workers nationwide for their solidarity, efforts, determination, and creativity in work and labor, contributing significantly to the overall results of each agency, unit, enterprise, industry, locality, country, and trade union organization.
Entering 2025, Vietnam Trade Unions are facing many opportunities and advantages but also many difficulties and challenges with new requirements. I hope and wish that the team of trade union officials, union members and workers nationwide will continue to promote the spirit of solidarity, strive to overcome difficulties, strive together, compete in labor production and work, and complete the assigned targets and tasks to the highest level, contributing to the successful implementation of the socio-economic development plan targets in 2025 and the 2020-2025 period, contributing to the whole country firmly entering a new era, an era of national growth.
On behalf of the Presidium of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, on the occasion of the New Year, I would like to wish all union officials, union members and workers nationwide the best wishes, and wish each comrade and his family a happy new spring; new year - new achievements, new victories.
Thank you very much, President of Vietnam General Confederation of Labor!
"In 2025, the Trade Union will also focus on reorganizing the trade union apparatus at all levels, on the basis of closely following the direction of the Central Committee, ensuring the principles of organization and operation of the Trade Union, meeting practical requirements, in accordance with international practices" - President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor Nguyen Dinh Khang emphasized.
(Posted on the special edition of Lao Dong Xuan At Ty)
