Towards the 14th Congress of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, a series of articles by Mr. Tran Thanh Hai - former Standing Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour set out a summary approach and strategic orientation for the Trade Union organization in the new era. From the milestone of nearly 100 years of formation and development, the author emphasizes the requirement to plan a long-term vision, with a continuous focus on improving the lives and happiness of union members based on core standards such as sufficient living wages, adaptive employment, stable social position and a sustainable living environment.
The series of articles also points out the urgent requirement to continue to innovate the activities of the Trade Union organization in the new development stage. The focus is on building truly strong grassroots trade unions, developing a widespread force of union members, especially in the non-state sector, and innovating thinking and leadership methods. Accordingly, grassroots trade unions play a central role, union members become action subjects, while upper-level trade unions play a supporting role, creating momentum. This is considered a breakthrough direction to improve the effectiveness of representation and protection of workers' rights in the new context.
Lao Dong Newspaper respectfully introduces the series of articles "Improving the effectiveness of representing and protecting workers' rights in the new context" by Mr. Tran Thanh Hai - former Standing Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor.
Need to rise up and excellently assume the role of representative
The growth of trade union organizations comes from the synergy of many levels, many resources, but the most important thing is at the grassroots level, where businesses where workers and union members are attached to jointly nurture new values.
Therefore, the new era for trade union organizations must first of all be the new era for grassroots trade unions (CĐCS), so the operating mindset of CĐCS needs to have a fundamental change according to the motto: Proactiveness is fundamental, creativity is the foundation, practicality is the goal and more advantages are created.
Once grassroots trade union activities are proactively decided by the Executive Committee with creative implementation methods, have flexible steps from practice, are created the most favorable conditions by trade union levels and the results achieved meet the needs of the majority of union members become common, it will make the trade union organization always lively and strong.
The position of the trade union organization in society is established sustainably when that position develops synchronously and effectively at the grassroots level. Since the winning of power and the establishment of the State by the working class, state-owned enterprises are the main ones, the position of the grassroots trade union is a member of the management apparatus, so the task of "participation" is common.
In a multi-sectoral economy, under the leadership of the Party, the working class and the entire nation, laws related to trade union organizations and workers are constantly being improved, in non-state-owned enterprises, the task of "unification" gradually becomes the overarching nuance of the grassroots trade union.
Although it brings many benefits to workers and union members, it has not met all expectations, so in the current period, the grassroots trade union needs to rise up and excellently assume the representative role assigned by the collective of workers and union members. Therefore, the central task of the grassroots trade union must be "negotiation". This is a fundamental change in the role of the grassroots trade union, from secondary to subject, as a party in labor relations, operating under the law and the companion line of the revolutionary trade union organization.
At the same time, the selection of activity content needs to delegate decision-making power to the grassroots trade union so that the results achieved bring the highest material, cultural and spiritual benefits, for the most union members to enjoy with the lowest organizational costs. The change in authority and basic requirements of trade union activities will make grassroots trade union organizations more flexible, more practical, always aiming for the majority of union members.
Putting union service above all else
New requirements, requiring strong innovation in trade union officials' work at the grassroots level. Focus on building a force of grassroots trade union officials operating effectively from grasping and proficiently implementing knowledge about trade union work, especially the Party's viewpoint on workers institutionalized by law; regulations on the rights and responsibilities of trade union organizations, workers and characteristics of trade union organizations and activities. Forming a team of truly trusted grassroots trade union officials and assigning them the responsibility of representing is a solid foundation for building strong grassroots trade unions. Grassroots trade union officials are honored by the trade union organization during their time in charge of tasks for their particularly outstanding achievements through trade union activities, becoming a motivation for each grassroots trade union official to strive. Creating a rich source of grassroots trade union officials, from afar.
Through trade union activities, outstanding union members need to be considered as trade union officials and be trained and fostered in both professional skills and ideals of the trade union organization, becoming the core force in operation and selection and introduction for union members to decide on representatives.
Trade union officials must put the requirement of serving the trade union organization and serving union members above all else, first of all, the political nature of the organization will be clearly shown. Therefore, caring for and nurturing officials is a continuous responsibility, but also striving to implement the requirement that the rights of trade union officials must be placed with the rights of union members, resolutely criticizing officials who only know their own rights without asking themselves what they have directly done for the organization, what benefits they have brought to union members?
