Need resources, staff and appropriate funding
Mr. Huynh Vinh Lam - Chairman of Ben Thanh Ward Trade Union, Ho Chi Minh City - said that the Ward Trade Union is managing 427 grassroots trade unions with 40,763 employees and 32,743 union members. Since its establishment (July 1, 2025) to date, the Ward Trade Union has mobilized the establishment of 20 new grassroots trade unions, developed an additional 607 union members, contributing to expanding the Trade Union organization in the non-state enterprise sector, gradually affirming its role as a bridge between employees and employers.
And Mr. Tran Van Thang - Chairman of Phu Dinh Ward Trade Union, Ho Chi Minh City - said that from the date of establishment (July 1, 2025) to now, Phu Dinh Ward Trade Union has established 7 grassroots trade unions and 2 professional unions and admitted 567 union members, including the number of people admitted at units that already have grassroots trade unions.
According to Mr. Lam, the establishment of grassroots trade unions still faces many difficulties because most businesses in the area are small and medium-sized enterprises, with constantly fluctuating labor, and many seasonal and part-time workers. In addition, some employers are still hesitant to establish trade unions, while many workers do not clearly understand their rights, so they do not actively participate.
Meanwhile, the number of full-time officials is still limited compared to the scale of enterprises and employees to be managed, leading to great pressure in the work of mobilizing, guiding and supporting the establishment of grassroots trade unions.
Mr. Lam said that to improve the effectiveness of establishing grassroots trade unions, trade union organizations need to innovate propaganda towards digitization, taking advantage of social networks and online platforms to reach workers faster. At the same time, strengthen coordination with local authorities, tax authorities, social insurance and related units to review businesses and identify appropriate mobilization targets.
It is necessary to allocate resources, staff and funds appropriately for ward and commune trade unions with many businesses and workers" - Mr. Lam said.
Strive to develop and actually increase at least 800,000 union members
The report of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation shows that, based on the Decision to establish the Steering Committee and the working group assisting the Steering Committee in implementing the work of developing union members and establishing grassroots trade unions in the city in the period 2023 - 2028, the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation has promptly consolidated the personnel of members and organized working groups to work with ward, commune, and special zone Party committees on the work of developing union members and establishing grassroots trade unions in the city.
As a result, by the end of 2025, Ho Chi Minh City trade union levels had mobilized the development of nearly 146,500 new union members, and mobilized the establishment of 1,087 grassroots trade unions. To date, the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation is managing 23,070 grassroots trade unions with about 2.4 million union members, accounting for about 25% of the number of grassroots trade unions and union members nationwide.
Mr. Vo Khac Thai - Standing Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation - informed that the 1st Ho Chi Minh City Trade Union Congress, term 2025 - 2030, set out the task of striving to develop and actually increase at least 800,000 union members. To achieve this goal, the Ho Chi Minh City Trade Union organization has set out tasks and solutions such as: Focusing on developing union members and establishing grassroots trade unions, building a network of collaborators...
The first Ho Chi Minh City Trade Union Congress, term 2025 - 2030, set out 3 breakthrough tasks, including investing resources, creating a breakthrough in union member development, and establishing grassroots trade unions in non-state-owned enterprises and informal labor sectors.
