Mr. Tran Van Dong - Chairman of the Ninh Thuan Provincial Federation of Labor, said: with nearly 38,260 union members, in 2024, the Unions at all levels organized hundreds of meetings to collect opinions from union members, workers, and union officials at all levels on the draft Law on Trade Unions (amended).
Many enthusiastic opinions, 4 pages long, from union officials and union members were sent to the Provincial Federation of Labor for proposal to all levels. Among them, the issue of maintaining the union budget at 2% is a prerequisite, the backbone for organizing activities, and must be maintained.
"On November 27, the Law was passed with detailed regulations on this provision, which will help trade unions further promote the work of caring for and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of union members and workers in a more sustainable manner," Mr. Dong emphasized.
According to Mr. Dong, in the new context, any competition requires resources. With resources specifically stipulated in the Trade Union Law (amended), grassroots trade unions will have funding (75%) to organize regular care activities for employees during the year.
Regulations on the right to proactive supervision of trade unions are also an important legal step forward for trade unions to have a basis to perform their duties of representing and protecting the legitimate and legal rights and interests of union members.
In fact, in Ninh Thuan in recent times, trade union monitoring activities still face many difficulties due to the lack of coordination and cooperation from employers. In 2024, the Provincial Federation of Labor monitored 8 enterprises, thereby resolving policies for 523 union members and employees. This monitoring activity, when the union is given the initiative, will help unions at all levels promptly detect violations related to the rights of union members and employees, thereby minimizing the risk of labor disputes.
Along with regular monitoring regulations chaired by the union, the role and position of the union organization will also be further affirmed, closer to the grassroots, and timely support and sharing with the grassroots union and employees.
The Law on Trade Unions (amended) and supplemented with regulations that foreign employees working in labor-using units in Vietnam have the right to join and operate in the Vietnamese Trade Union organization, according to Mr. Dong, is suitable for practice.
In Ninh Thuan recently, with the province's policy of promoting investment attraction, foreign workers have also appeared more. The whole province currently has about 70 licensed foreign workers. However, this group of workers is still outside the Union.
Therefore, this regulation was born in accordance with reality, meeting the equal rights of workers when operating in Vietnam. This is also a group of workers that the Trade Union needs to promote and mobilize to join in order to contribute to building a strong Vietnamese trade union organization.
The Trade Union Law (amended) adds a new provision to consider exemption, reduction or suspension of trade union fees in cases where enterprises encounter difficulties due to natural disasters, fires, and epidemics and have to temporarily suspend production and business, leading to the inability to pay trade union fees.
"This is the flexibility, understanding and sharing of the Trade Union organization with businesses and employees. Because in reality, since the recent COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses have encountered difficulties, union members have lost their source of income, and at this time the Trade Union must accompany them. But there is no regulation allowing it, so it is not appropriate for employees to have difficulties and still have to pay the Trade Union fee. In addition, many businesses have to stop production, but in terms of regulations, employees are still obliged to pay the Trade Union fee, which reduces the value of the Trade Union organization's care and protection of employees," Mr. Dong shared.
