Increase additional sources of union members
Mr. Luu Kim Hong - Chairman of the Trade Union of Nidec Vietnam Company (High-Tech Park, Ho Chi Minh City) - said that in reality, there are many foreign workers working at Nidec Vietnam Company. Therefore, the regulation allowing foreign citizens working in Vietnam to join and participate in trade union activities is a completely new point and has many positive points such as increasing the source of additional union members as well as enriching trade union activities. However, this means requiring trade union officials, especially grassroots trade unions, to be more proactive, more active, and to improve their qualifications to meet the new requirements when having foreign union members.
Agreeing with this view, Ms. Phan Thi Thien - Chairwoman of the Trade Union of Long Cuong Production - Trading - Service Co., Ltd. (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) - said that in reality, there are more and more foreign workers coming to work in Vietnam, and their rights in labor relations also need to be protected. Allowing foreigners working in Vietnam to join and participate in trade union activities increases the responsibility of trade union officials, while increasing the prestige of the Vietnamese trade union organization.
Mr. Quach Man Nghia - Chairman of Always Vietnam Company Union (Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone, Ho Chi Minh City) - strongly agrees with the addition of cases of exemption, reduction, and suspension of union fee payment and the Government's regulations on these cases after agreeing with the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor.
According to Mr. Nghia, in reality, there are cases where businesses are facing difficulties such as during the COVID-19 pandemic or when there are few orders. If they are exempted, reduced, or temporarily suspended from paying union fees, it will create favorable conditions for businesses to restore production and ensure jobs for employees.
However, Mr. Nghia also pointed out the reality that currently, the Union's care for union members and employees largely depends on the union funds paid by the enterprise. If the enterprise is exempted, reduced, or temporarily suspended from paying union funds, it means that the Union has no resources to care for union members and employees.
"It is necessary to limit the amount and time that businesses are exempted from, reduced, or temporarily suspended from paying union fees to ensure resources for the union to take care of union members and employees," said Mr. Nghia.
Improve qualifications and innovate union activities
Mr. Nguyen Van Hai - Chairman of Binh Tan District Labor Federation - said that Binh Tan is a district with a large labor force, many of whom work in the informal sector. Currently, Binh Tan District Labor Federation has established and managed 16 unions with 5,600 union members. Therefore, the regulation allowing Vietnamese workers working without labor relations in Vietnam to establish, join and operate unions not only creates favorable conditions for supplementing union members, but also poses a requirement and challenge for union organizations when developing union members.
“In fact, many workers in the informal sector want to join the Vietnam Trade Union to have their rights protected and taken care of. But this requires resources from the Vietnam Trade Union to meet those requirements,” said Mr. Hai.
According to Mr. Phung Thai Quang - Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation, the National Assembly's passing of the Trade Union Law with a very high percentage of delegates in agreement shows the interest of the National Assembly and National Assembly delegates in the activities of the Vietnam Trade Union. This is also a fundamental advantage.
The addition of the right to monitor and provide social criticism of the Trade Union increases the role of the Trade Union organization, especially in performing the function of representing and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of union members and employees, in order to detect, prevent and limit violations by enterprises against union members and employees. In addition, the addition of the right to join the Vietnam Trade Union of the organization of employees at the enterprise is also a very new regulation that has many advantages as well as challenges for the Vietnam Trade Union organization.
“This requires each union official to constantly improve their capacity and professional qualifications, while the union organization must also persistently innovate its content and methods of operation to suit the requirements and challenges in the new period,” said Mr. Quang.
