Comrade, the People's Public Security Trade Union is a very unique organization in the Vietnam Trade Union system. Can you share more about this characteristic?
- Senior Lieutenant Colonel Cong Thanh Thao: The biggest special feature of the People's Public Security Trade Union is that it operates in the environment of the people's armed forces, under the absolute and direct leadership in all aspects of the Central Public Security Party Committee and the leaders of the Ministry of Public Security. Trade union members in the People's Public Security are mostly workers, contract workers, technical staff, medical staff, logistics staff, production staff, service staff... working at public service units, production facilities, hospitals, and businesses in the People's Public Security. They do not directly hold guns to fight, but they are a particularly important security force behind them. After each victory, each special case, each achievement of the People's Public Security force, there is a silent contribution from the team of union members and workers.
The difficulty of the People's Public Security Trade Union is that it must both fully perform the functions of a trade union organization according to the provisions of law and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, and must ensure the political, disciplinary, orderly, and confidential requirements of the People's Public Security Forces. Therefore, trade union officials in the People's Public Security Forces must have very flexible thinking, firm political bravery, and understand both trade union work and the professional characteristics of the People's Public Security Forces.
According to you, in recent years, what outstanding changes has the People's Public Security Trade Union had?
- Senior Lieutenant Colonel Cong Thanh Thao: I think the most prominent change is that trade union activities in the People's Public Security Forces are becoming more substantive, closer to the grassroots level and strongly oriented towards union members and workers.
If previously trade union activities in some places were still movement-oriented and formalistic, now trade union activities have strongly shifted to caring for very specific issues: working conditions, working environment, occupational safety and health, meals, housing, policies, physical and mental health for workers. In particular, many welfare programs have really spread, marking the unique imprint of the trade union organization in the People's Public Security Forces such as: "Tet Sum vay" program, "Thank you to workers festival" in Workers' Month, "Trade Union adopted children", "Joining union members' families to celebrate Tet", "Trade Union Shelter"...
Another very important point is that the People's Police Trade Union is gradually adapting to digital transformation and the requirement to build a regular, elite, and modern People's Police force. This puts great pressure on the team of workers in the People's Police, especially in the fields of technology, manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics services. If the trade union organization does not innovate thinking, does not accompany workers in improving professional skills and digital skills, it will lag behind.
We also clearly define: if we want the trade union to have a position, we must contribute to solving the problems of the unit and the workers. The trade union cannot stand outside the political tasks of the People's Public Security Forces.
In the current context, according to you, what is the biggest challenge for the People's Public Security Trade Union organization?
- Senior Lieutenant Colonel Cong Thanh Thao: The biggest challenge is the requirement for very rapid innovation, while the organizational model, operating methods and quality of trade union officials in some places have not kept up.
Currently, the People's Public Security Forces are promoting streamlining the apparatus, applying science and technology, and modernizing all aspects of work. Accordingly, there is a very large change in the labor structure, nature of work, and requirements for workers. There are traditional job positions that will be narrowed down, but at the same time, completely new fields related to digital technology, data, and modern technology appear. In that context, trade union organizations must not only take care of in the traditional way but also participate with Party committees and unit leaders in retraining labor, stabilizing psychology, creating motivation for dedication and retaining high-quality human resources.
Another issue is the work pressure in the special environment of the People's Public Security Forces is very high. Many union members work under a special regime, high intensity, with strict requirements on time, discipline and responsibility. Therefore, taking care of spiritual life, creating a humane, united, and sharing working environment in the unit is a very important issue.
Towards the 14th Vietnam Trade Union Congress, what do the People's Public Security Trade Union expect from this Congress?
- Senior Lieutenant Colonel Cong Thanh Thao: We expect the 14th Congress to continue to strongly affirm the role of the Vietnam Trade Union organization in the new development stage of the country; especially the role of accompanying workers in the context of digital transformation, international integration and the fourth industrial revolution.
For the People's Public Security Trade Union, we hope that the Congress will have more major orientations for trade union levels in the People's Public Security to continue to innovate the content and methods of operation in a more substantive, professional and effective direction.
In my opinion, in the coming time, if the trade union organization wants to develop sustainably, it must focus on three core issues.
The first is to build a team of trade union officials who are dedicated, qualified, have skills in mobilizing the masses, have legal knowledge, technology and understand grassroots practices.
The second is to take union members and workers as the center of all activities. What union members need, the trade union must care about; what union members have difficulties with, the trade union must be present.
Third, trade unions must actively participate in the process of building high-quality human resources. For the People's Public Security Forces, especially in the fields of science and technology, professional techniques, security industry and digital transformation, this is a very important task.
Thank you comrade for the interview!
