The conference to summarize cooperation agreements with partners implementing the "Union member welfare" program for the period 2019 - 2025 was organized by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (VGCL) in Ho Chi Minh City, on June 23.
Participating in the conference were nearly 50 union officials from the southern provinces and cities, and the Vietnam Rubber Trade Union.
Nearly 3,000 cooperation agreements have been signed
Ms. Tran Thi Thanh Ha - Member of the Presidium, Head of the Department of Legal Policy and Labor Relations of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor - said that the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor issued Program No. 1734/CTr-TLD on November 14, 2019 on improving the welfare and benefits for union members and workers in the period of 2019 - 2023 ( Program 1734).
In particular, the key solution is to continue to select, negotiate, and sign agreements with partners, in order to bring union members many essential products and services with good quality and reasonable prices.
Trade unions at all levels have focused on negotiating and signing with local enterprises to increase practical benefits for union members such as food products, foodstuffs, consumer goods, household appliances, electronics, travel, rest, medical examination and treatment, physical exercise, sports, culture, child care and education products, etc.
To date, 100% of Labor Federations of provinces and cities, Central Industry Trade Unions, and General Corporation Trade Unions under the General Confederation have developed plans and implemented the 1734 Program.
With the efforts of the entire system, up to now, trade unions at all levels have signed nearly 3,000 cooperation agreements with partners to provide products, services, and goods at preferential prices to 9.5 million union members and employees who have benefited, with a total benefit of nearly VND 2,000 billion.
Implementing the direction of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the Meeting and Dialogue Conference with employees on June 11, 2022, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor signed a cooperation agreement with HD SAISON Company Limited (HD Saison) and Vietnam Prosperity Bank SMBC Finance Company Limited (FE Credit) to increase benefits and benefits for union members and employees, contributing to gradually pushing back and eliminating the situation of illegal credit among employees.
Thereby, VND 10,404 billion has been disbursed to nearly 643,500 employees with preferential interest rates and VND 7,646 billion to 177,900 employees with normal interest rates, contributing to repelling the evils of black credit among employees.
Welfare plays an increasingly important role in labor relations
The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor has directly organized and directed trade unions at all levels to seek and invite businesses to supply essential goods at suitable quality and prices to provide to union members and workers through "Union Markets" and "Union Tet Markets" (direct and online) on the occasion of Lunar New Year, Workers' Month, and the anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam Trade Union (July 28) every year.
Thereby, more than 50 enterprises have signed cooperation agreements with the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to sell essential goods to union members and employees at preferential prices compared to the market from 10% - 70%.
In particular, the online "Union Tet Market" Program in 2024 and 2025 has attracted hundreds of businesses, with more than 230,000 union members and employees given shopping vouchers, the total budget supported by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor is nearly 110 billion VND, businesses support over 50 billion VND.
According to the incomplete report of 40 provincial and municipal labor federations and 12 central industry unions and equivalent, 1,029 programs have been signed and implemented with more than 9.5 million union members and employees benefiting with a profit of more than VND427 billion.
Ms. Ha also said that welfare work plays an increasingly important role in labor relations. In the new context, trade unions at all levels must further build programs and models to increasingly bring more and more welfare programs to union members and employees.
