The important role of union officials
Having worked at Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel Corporation for more than 5 years, Ms. Duong Thi Hoa - a steel rolling mill worker - has put her full trust in the company's union officials. From the first days of working, knowing Ms. Hoa's difficult circumstances, the grassroots union has shown much concern and support.
“My husband and I still live in cramped accommodation, our children live with their parents, which is inconvenient when they are sick. The company's union members sometimes help with material things, sometimes with money, especially during the recent flood, the union supported us in many ways, so we were able to stabilize our lives and work quickly,” said Ms. Hoa.
Currently, Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel Corporation has more than 3,200 union members in 15 member units. The grassroots union officials are the extended arm that grasps the aspirations and wishes of union members and workers and promptly helps them when they encounter difficulties.
Mr. Vu Thuong Thu - Chairman of the Trade Union of Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel Corporation - said that with a large number of union members and employees and a special industrial production sector with potential health-affecting factors, the company's trade union attaches special importance to caring for and protecting employees.
“From policies and regimes to building a working environment that ensures the health and rights of workers are always prioritized. In fact, the number of union members in the company is large, but the current union staff is considered to be lacking and not meeting the requirements in the new situation,” said Mr. Thu.
Thai Nguyen Provincial Federation of Labor is currently directly managing 174,676 employees, 1,462 trade unions with 159,932 union members. The work of developing new union members has been increasing every year, so the addition and increase of the number of union officials is considered necessary.
Strengthening the union staff at the grassroots level
Ms. Hoang Thu Hang - Vice President of Thai Nguyen Provincial Labor Federation - said that currently, there is a shortage of union officials at all levels due to the increasing development of industrial zones, along with the rapidly increasing number of workers. The union organization must participate more in activities related to workers.
“From organizing dialogues, labor agreements or demanding rights and taking care of workers’ lives, there is the participation of union officials, while this number is currently lacking. For example, the Thai Nguyen Industrial Park Union currently has more than 30,000 union members but only 4 union officials. Therefore, adding union officials is very necessary in the current conditions,” Ms. Hang shared.
The total number of local trade union positions assigned by provincial and municipal Party Committees in 2024 is 5,119 positions. Although much lower than other organizations, according to the calculation of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, based on the number of union members and grassroots trade unions, the total minimum number of positions required for local trade unions is 5,899 positions. The total number of positions assigned by local Party Committees to trade unions is lower than the minimum requirement of the trade union organization, which is 780 positions.
