On the afternoon of June 3, speaking at the Workshop Center No. 2, Mr. Le Tat Thang, Deputy Head of the Trade Union Affairs Committee - Vietnam Textile and Garment Trade Union, said that textile and garment is an industry that uses a lot of labor, especially female labor, but the majority are general laborers, migrants, working at high intensity, environment with heavy, hazardous elements, while income and living conditions are still not without difficulties.
In that context, the trade union organization is not only a place to represent and protect rights but must also be a close and practical support for workers. Reality shows that wherever the trade union takes good care of life, protects rights, and accompanies workers, workers trust, are attached to and voluntarily participate in the trade union organization," Mr. Thang said.
According to Mr. Thang, the Vietnam Textile and Garment Trade Union currently directly manages 117 grassroots trade unions with more than 110,000 trade union members, female workers accounting for 71%.
In recent years, trade union levels in the system have had many innovations in activities to care for the material and spiritual life of union members and workers. Many programs bearing the strong trade union imprint have truly gone into life, creating trust and attachment of workers to the trade union organization. From 2022 - 2025, the amount of money to care for workers at the industry level reached over 9.9 billion VND. In addition to regular activities, many current and urgent care activities have also been directly deployed by the industry union to workers, typically activities to support workers during the COVID-19 epidemic with a total amount of over 42 billion VND; allowances for workers affected by floods and natural disasters... with an amount of over 3.12 billion VND.
At the grassroots level, care activities focus on supporting workers in difficult circumstances, who have had labor accidents, serious illnesses; giving Tet gifts, trade union meals, summer heat reduction training... with a total amount of over 20 billion VND. Every year, there are over 15 units adjusting meal allowances, more than 90% of units have meal allowance support from 15,000 VND/meal or more; over 80 units organize trade union meals with over 93,900 workers benefiting.
At the grassroots level, trade union levels signed agreements with 99 businesses inside and outside the industry, and issued discounted shopping cards on holidays and Tet. In the period 2022 - 2025, over 600,000 union members enjoyed welfare programs from industry and grassroots levels with an amount of over 30 billion VND.
Besides the achieved results, activities to care for union members and workers still have some limitations such as: the content and methods of operation in some places are still movement-oriented; the quality of dialogue and collective negotiation is not high; the work of grasping the thoughts and aspirations of union members, especially young workers, is not timely; resources for care activities at some units are still limited...
In the coming time, to attract, gather and retain workers to join the trade union, trade union activities at the Vietnam Textile and Garment Trade Union will be innovated in a more effective, practical and comprehensive direction, focusing on the following aspects:
Taking workers as the center of all activities: All trade union activities must truly originate from the legitimate interests and needs of workers; taking the legitimate needs and aspirations of workers to develop plans, programs and implement activities. Pay attention to vulnerable workers, female workers, migrant workers, workers in difficult circumstances...
Shifting thinking from short-term care to sustainable care: Care activities are directed towards large-term and long-term policies such as improving income, improving working conditions, applying social security policies such as housing support, childcare costs, health care; vocational skills training; job transition support...
Innovating the approach to workers: Reducing administrative meeting activities by direct interaction activities, using social networks effectively, applying technology in union member management; deploying online utilities to collect information as a basis for dialogue and negotiation.
Maintaining the effectiveness of union member welfare programs: Trade union levels need to expand cooperation with businesses, welfare partners... so that union members can enjoy practical incentives such as: discounts on goods and services; preferential medical examination and treatment; low-interest loans; tuition fee support for workers, social housing services.
Innovating cultural and spiritual activities for workers: Trade union levels organize diverse cultural, sports, and mental health care activities and have activities to accompany children and families of workers.
