Diversify propaganda to persuade workers to join the Union
Ms. Ho Thi Xuan Hanh - Chairwoman of the Industrial Parks Trade Union (IPTU) of Ninh Thuan province said that in 2024, the province assigned the development of an increase of 2,150 union members. Up to now, the unit has admitted 2,349 new union members, exceeding 9%.
To achieve that result, in recent times, the Provincial Industrial Park Trade Union has actively coordinated with sectors to dialogue and propagate labor laws and social insurance. The Trade Union has gone to the grassroots to answer questions and advise on policies and regimes for employees and union members at enterprises with a large number of workers. The Provincial Industrial Park Trade Union has also proactively coordinated and persistently followed the grassroots, approached the human resources departments of enterprises to distribute leaflets to propagate the rights and responsibilities of employees when joining the Trade Union and the application to join the Trade Union for employees to refer to and study...
By doing this, the Union reduces the time spent on propaganda and mobilization to increase the rate of workers joining the organization. Workers understand more about the Union, boldly express and share their concerns with the industry, and become closer to Union officials.
The Industrial Park Union also focuses on implementing welfare programs well so that employees can see the benefits of joining the union organization, while directing grassroots unions to enhance their responsibility in working with enterprises to stabilize labor relations and take good care of policies and regimes for employees. Raising awareness among cadres, union members, employees and employers about the meaning and importance of developing union members and establishing grassroots unions.
For employees who are not union members in enterprise-level unions, direct the enterprise-level unions to effectively use union finances to promptly support union members and employees on holidays and Tet... organize cultural and sports activities to create a playground for employees and union members so that employees trust and voluntarily join the union and receive the consensus of the enterprise, creating conditions for the enterprise-level unions to operate strongly.
In Ninh Hai district, through the coordination regulations, the district trade union develops a working plan with local Party committees and authorities to carry out the task of developing union members and establishing grassroots trade unions. The standing body of the union, together with members of the Steering Committee for mobilizing union members and establishing grassroots trade unions, proactively and flexibly takes advantage of all conditions and time to approach and propagate and mobilize union members and establish grassroots trade unions, including holidays and after-hours.
As a result, 5 fishing and garment processing unions were established and 185 informal union members were developed.
Need specific mechanism for workers to join unions
In addition to the establishment of new unions, the Union always focuses on timely strengthening the staff of grassroots unions in enterprises. Ms. Ho Thi Xuan Hanh also acknowledged the achievements of mass mobilization and action in recent times, which have changed the awareness of voluntary participation and proactiveness in establishing grassroots unions. However, the work of gathering union members is still limited partly due to lack of human resources.
The work of contacting and mobilizing business owners to establish trade union organizations is still hindered. Some businesses have trade unions but their performance is not very effective, so they have not attracted a large number of employees. Some small-scale units still do not want to have trade unions, and have not created conditions for mobilizing and propagating to develop union members and establish grassroots trade unions.
Mr. Nguyen Phan - Chairman of the Ninh Hai District Labor Federation also proposed some points that need to be resolved in the current practice of developing union members in the informal sector through trade unions. In fact, union members are mostly ordinary workers, lacking the bond between fishing vessel owners and union members, so there is instability. In addition, the nature of the profession often involves long-term fishing at sea, so it is difficult to gather for activities and meetings; the union's operating budget is not yet available...
Therefore, the Ninh Hai District Labor Federation hopes that in the coming time, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor and the Provincial Labor Federation will soon issue specific regulations on union activities. Especially, there will be instructions on initial financial support when announcing the establishment decision and annual financial support for unions to maintain operations and participate in movements organized and launched by the higher-level Trade Union...
