Ms. Nguyen Thi Do - Chairwoman of Hoa Xuan Ward Trade Union, Da Nang City said: Hoa Xuan Ward Trade Union manages 68 grassroots trade unions and professional unions with 2,514 female union members out of a total of 5,953 union members, accounting for 42.2%.
Among them, there are 31 units with 10 or more female union members. Following the guidance of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour and Da Nang City Confederation of Labour, grassroots trade unions after the congress quickly established the Mass Women's Committee. Currently, Hoa Xuan ward has 92 female trade union officials participating in activities at the grassroots level.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Do, in the context of the trade union organization model having many changes, maintaining women's labor activities is a necessary requirement to protect the rights and better care for female workers. Current women's labor activities are not only limited to superficial movements but must be closely linked to the lives, thoughts and practical needs of female union members.
We determine that we must gradually put women's activities into order right from the grassroots level. Propaganda about gender equality, reproductive health care, building happy families or organizing activities to care for union members' children must be carried out regularly and in accordance with the conditions of each unit" - Ms. Do shared.
Over the past time, many activities have been advised and implemented by grassroots Women's Affairs Committees such as meetings, giving gifts on March 8th and October 20th, organizing sightseeing, picnics, sports activities, responding to "Vietnam Ao Dai Week", and caring for union members' children on June 1st and Mid-Autumn Festival.
In addition, the coordination of periodic health check-ups and implementation of regimes for female workers continues to be concerned in many units.
Despite achieving many positive results, the current women's work of Hoa Xuan in particular and commune and ward trade unions of Da Nang in general still faces many difficulties, especially after arranging the organizational structure and no longer having grassroots trade unions in the public sector enjoying 100% of the budget salary as before.
According to the leader of Hoa Xuan Ward Trade Union, at some non-state enterprises, female labor activities have not really become regular; the consolidation of the Women's Union is still slow. A part of trade union officials and female labor officials do not have a solid grasp of professional skills, and still have a psychology of hesitation and fear of conflict when protecting union members' rights. Production pressure at enterprises also makes it difficult for female workers to participate in trade union activities due to time constraints.
From grassroots practice, Hoa Xuan Ward Trade Union proposed to study and supplement responsibility allowances for members of the Women's Trade Union Board to recognize and encourage female trade union officials to operate effectively. The unit also proposed policies to support female workers in the informal sector, especially preferential loan packages, to attract this force to participate in the Trade Union organization.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Do, this is a group of workers that is increasing but is vulnerable and difficult to access social security policies.
If we want women's work to be truly effective, we must go to the right target groups that need the most support. Female workers in the informal sector currently need practical policies to make them feel secure in their work and more attached to the trade union organization" - Ms. Do said.
From the recommendations originating from the grassroots level, it can be seen that women's labor activities today not only need to maintain the movement but also need to strongly shift to a substantive, flexible and close-to-the-needs direction of female workers in the new context.
