Imprint from dialogue, negotiation
As one of the 101 typical grassroots Trade Union Presidents commended by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor as outstanding and typical grassroots Trade Union Presidents in collective dialogue and negotiation in the period 2023 - 2025, Ms. Hoang Thi Huong - Chairwoman of the Grassroots Trade Union of Traphaco Hung Yen Co., Ltd. - made her mark by persistent and substantive work in collective dialogue and negotiation.
Attached to trade union work for nearly 20 years, Ms. Huong recognizes that the most important fulcrum of the organization is not only taking care of welfare, but also the ability to stand out to connect and harmonize interests between workers and businesses. According to her, dialogue, if done correctly and fully, will become the "key" to removing many obstacles in labor relations.
At Traphaco Hung Yen, with 156/157 officials and employees being union members, dialogues - both periodic and unscheduled - are maintained regularly. Workers have the opportunity to directly express their opinions on salaries, working conditions, and preferential treatment regimes. From these reflections, the Trade Union summarizes, analyzes, and participates in exchanges with business leaders to find appropriate solutions.
According to Ms. Huong, the biggest challenge in each dialogue is not to detect problems, but to find a compromise solution. Workers always want to improve their income and working environment; while businesses must calculate costs and ensure production and business efficiency. Therefore, the Trade Union must understand both sides, thereby proposing harmonious solutions to minimize conflicts of interest.
Thanks to this approach, many recommendations have been resolved promptly, contributing to stabilizing workers' psychology and creating consensus in the collective. Labor relations have therefore also become more sustainable, with fewer conflicts arising.
Belief - the foundation of attachment
In parallel with her role as Chairwoman of the Trade Union, Ms. Hoang Thi Huong is also in charge of product quality at the enterprise. According to her, when workers stabilize their psychology and have confidence, work efficiency will be improved, thereby directly affecting product quality.
In her approach, Ms. Huong always puts the "confidence" factor at the center. However, to maintain trust, factors such as income, working environment and development opportunities still need to be concerned in parallel.
Currently, the average income of employees at Traphaco Hung Yen is about 26 million VND/person/month, including salaries and bonuses based on productivity, products, and work completion level. This is considered a fairly high level compared to the general level in the locality, but according to Ms. Huong, the demand of employees always tends to increase.
When the income level has exceeded the threshold of 20 million VND, the expectations of workers do not stop. Therefore, increasing income needs to be associated with improving productivity and professional qualifications, creating sustainable development instead of just short-term growth.
The reality of the current labor market shows a clear disparity between labor groups. Average labor in industrial parks usually only reaches 6-9 million VND/month, while highly skilled labor, working in large cities, can achieve much higher income levels. This further sets requirements for the Trade Union in balancing benefits, creating motivation for workers to strive and businesses to develop stably.
For Ms. Huong, the role of the Trade Union is not only to protect immediate rights, but also to build a sustainable collective. When workers have stable incomes and businesses have quality and committed human resources, the Trade Union also affirms its position as a reliable bridge between the two sides.
On April 28, at the Vietnam-Soviet Friendship Cultural Palace (Hanoi), Ms. Hoang Thi Huong and 100 outstanding grassroots trade union officials will be honored in Workers' Month. This is a recognition of the persistent process of dialogue, negotiation and care for workers' lives.
