Trade unions and businesses accompany investment for workers
In his speech at the XIV Vietnam Trade Union Congress, General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed: "Taking care of the lives of workers (NLĐ), creating a working environment, vocational training, labor safety, taking care of the lives of workers' families with housing, medical conditions, education, and rest, that is the responsibility of the Party, State, Trade Union organizations, businesses and our entire political system.
For employees, businesses play a direct investment role. However, many places still consider costs for employees as a "reduced" item: minimum wages, rudimentary meals, unqualified working environment, formal training, and benefits only limited to occasional gifts. This approach can reduce short-term costs, but in the long run, it increases hidden costs such as employee resignation, low productivity, lack of engagement, labor disputes and reduced recruitment reputation.
Investing in workers first of all is paying worthy salaries, ensuring occupational safety and health, paying full insurance, building a respectful and dialogue-oriented working environment.
The story at Luxshare-ICT Co., Ltd. (Nghe An) - where 30,000 workers are working, shows the value and benefits of investing in workers. Here, regimes for workers are guaranteed, such as increasing meal allowances from nearly 20,000 VND per meal, raising the average total support level to about 45,000 VND/person/day. In addition, workers are admitted to the company's free dormitory area.
I really want to stick with it for a long time and consider it my second home" the sharing of a worker with a Lao Dong Newspaper reporter shows that a business wants to have a strong, sustainable brand starting from the way the business treats its own employees. When workers are assured of working, have stable income, are respected and have development opportunities, they will become the most convincing "brand ambassador".
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ngo Tri Long - economic expert, Vietnam Financial Consultants Association - analyzed: "A rapidly growing economy but workers do not have sustainable jobs, businesses find it difficult to expand production, wages cannot keep up with living costs, then that growth is not really inclusive. Conversely, when resources are properly allocated, businesses will have conditions to invest, production will expand, jobs will increase, productivity will improve and workers will benefit directly. Therefore, in the new growth model, workers must be placed at the center.
Turning care requests into specific mechanisms
If the enterprise is the direct investor for employees, the Trade Union is the representative force, promoting, supervising and accompanying to make that investment go in the right direction. The 2024 Trade Union Law defines that the Vietnam Trade Union represents, cares for, and protects the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of employees; and at the same time participates in supervision, social criticism, propaganda, and mobilization of employees to study and improve their qualifications and professional skills.
Trade unions must also be the earliest listening channel. Many instabilities in labor relations do not erupt immediately, but accumulate from small grievances such as poor quality meals, prolonged overtime, hot working environment, slow payment of insurance, lack of transparency in bonuses and fines. If grassroots trade unions are close to employees, understand workers and have skills to dialogue with businesses, these conflicts can be resolved early.
Speaking at the 14th Vietnam Trade Union Congress, General Secretary and President To Lam outlined 6 key tasks for the Trade Union organization in the coming time. The consistent point of these tasks is to put employees at the center of all activities of the Trade Union organization and participate more deeply and strongly in the investment process for employees.
All 6 tasks emphasize the role of the Trade Union at the grassroots level, from creating conditions for employees to study lifelong to developing institutions in industrial parks.
The Trade Union must work with the State, businesses, and training institutions to take care of improving professional qualifications, digital skills, and adaptive skills for workers" - General Secretary and President requested.
Other important tasks all aim at investing in workers: Investing in materials in protecting rights and improving welfare; investing in skills to adapt to trends by creating conditions for learning and improving skills; investing in spirit with cultural institutions. In particular, General Secretary and President To Lam also emphasized that investing in workers cannot underestimate those around them.
From the directing opinions of General Secretary and President To Lam, a very clear message can be seen: Businesses that know how to care for employees will have higher productivity, better brands and a more sustainable development foundation. Trade unions playing a good role as representatives, negotiators and companions will help that investment become a specific and long-term benefit for employees. This is also the path to building harmonious, stable, and progressive labor relations, thereby further enhancing the role of the Trade Union organization in the new period.
