According to a report by the Hai Phong City Labor Federation, the whole city currently has 2,612 grassroots trade unions in the business sector, managing 264,907 workers. 1,618 grassroots trade unions are eligible to negotiate and sign collective labor agreements (CLAs). To date, 1,059 have successfully negotiated and signed CLAs, reaching 65.55%; 559 enterprises are eligible but have not yet signed CLAs.
At the conference, representatives of Commune, Ward, Special Zone Trade Unions, and grassroots trade unions of enterprises shared experiences in the process of implementing negotiations and signing collective labor agreements as well as pointed out difficulties and limitations in implementation. In fact, many employers are hesitant to include in collective labor agreements clauses that increase fixed costs (salary, bonuses, improved quality of meals, allowances...). Enterprises do not disclose their financial and production and business situation, causing difficulties for grassroots trade unions when proposing negotiations. Many enterprises are eligible for negotiation and signing collective labor agreements but are operating inefficiently, requesting dissolution...
Representatives of units also pointed out limitations when grassroots trade union officials are currently mainly part-time, receiving salaries from businesses, so they are psychologically afraid of conflicts with employers. Many grassroots trade unions run after quantity, sign collective labor agreements that are formalistic, copying the provisions of the Labor Code but lacking core clauses that are more beneficial for workers...
Speaking to direct, Mr. Nguyen Van Phiet - Vice Chairman of the City Labor Federation requested units to focus highly on negotiation and signing of collective labor agreements; include the target of signing collective labor agreements in trade union resolutions. Grassroots trade union executive committees in units that meet the conditions but do not yet have collective labor agreements must identify this as a key political task, with detailed negotiation plans and roadmaps.
Grassroots trade unions proactively collect workers' opinions before negotiation; ensure that the contents included in collective labor agreements (wages, bonuses, meals, labor protection, welfare support...) are close to the actual lives of union members; refer to the experience in units that have successfully signed collective labor agreements of type A, subdivide the contents of negotiation and bargaining to harmonize the interests of businesses - workers. The City Labor Federation will support grassroots trade unions in cases where employers intentionally delay, avoid or trade union officials face pressure from businesses in the process of negotiating and bargaining collective labor agreements...
