Listen to create consensus
Listening to union members speak, telling union members to understand, making union members believe, mobilizing, persuading and guiding union members to do" is not only a working motto, but is becoming a specific way of action of Thanh Hoa Trade Union levels in deploying the emulation movement "Good labor, high productivity, good income".
In the context of Thanh Hoa drastically implementing socio-economic development goals, the Trade Union organization not only cares for and protects the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of union members and workers, but also has the responsibility to arouse the spirit of creativity, labor discipline and aspiration to contribute in the team of workers, civil servants, and laborers.
Sustainable growth comes not only from capital, technology or infrastructure, but also from workers with better skills, higher productivity, more initiatives and firm belief in businesses and trade union organizations.
To celebrate the 97th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam Trade Union, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Labor Federation has launched a peak month of listening to union members and workers. This activity does not stop at receiving thoughts and recommendations, but aims to classify, process and transform opinions from grassroots levels into specific tasks.
In July alone, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Labor Federation received nearly 6,000 opinions from union members, workers and trade union officials at all levels.
Opinions focused on practical issues such as salaries, employment, social insurance, working conditions, occupational safety and health, meals, welfare, skills competitions, promoting initiatives, improving productivity and product quality.
Notably, many union members not only reflected difficulties and obstacles but also proposed ways of doing things, offered solutions, showing responsibility to businesses and the overall development of the province.
The listening movement is being flexibly implemented at the grassroots level. 25 commune and ward trade unions and 132 grassroots trade unions with many workers have organized activities to listen to union members.
At many businesses, listening conferences have become a democratic forum for workers to express their thoughts, businesses to share difficulties, and governments and trade union organizations to answer, receive, and coordinate to handle recommendations right from the grassroots level.
Listening is the starting point, but to create substantive changes, the Trade Union organization must help union members understand the direct relationship between skills, productivity, discipline, initiative with jobs, income and sustainable development of enterprises.
Improving skills not only helps businesses increase output but also creates opportunities for workers to have stable jobs and increase income. Enforcing discipline and regulations on occupational safety and health is not only an obligation but also a way for each person to protect their own health and lives and those of colleagues.
Action to improve productivity
The trust of union members cannot be built with words. Trust is only formed when the opinions of workers are received, petitions are responded to, legitimate rights are protected, initiatives are respected and labor efforts are recognized.
From that awareness, Thanh Hoa Trade Union is strongly shifting from launching to organizing implementation, from one-way propaganda to dialogue, persuasion and companionship with workers and businesses.
Initial results show clear movement from the grassroots level. To date, nearly 200 grassroots trade unions have coordinated with employers to organize skills and skilled workers contests in many flexible forms, suitable to the specific production and business of each enterprise.
Many units organize competitions from production teams, production lines, specialized departments to business levels; linking skill training with operation improvement, reducing product errors, saving raw materials, ensuring labor safety and improving productivity.
Grassroots trade unions at Alena Shoe Co., Ltd., Weilina Shoe Co., Ltd., Sakurai Garment Co., Ltd., Sun Jade Shoe Co., Ltd., Venus Shoe Co., Ltd., Duyet Cuong Co., Ltd.... are examples of working closely to the production line, closely to the needs of workers.
Along with skills competitions, activities to care for union members' lives are being implemented simultaneously. 72 businesses have organized "Trade Union Meals", creating a cohesive atmosphere between the Trade Union organization, workers and employers.
Some units organize meals for hundreds, thousands of workers with the participation of commune and ward trade unions, business boards and a large number of union members.
Meals not only contribute to improving the quality of lunch meals, but also affirm the presence and companionship of the Trade Union organization in the daily lives of workers.
The cultural and spiritual life of workers is also concerned through specific models. To date, Thanh Hoa Trade Union has built 21 models of worker cultural spaces, creating places for activities, exchanges, learning and sharing among workers.
“Happy Worker Family” models, reproductive health care counseling, worker family exchanges, honoring typical families... contribute to building a humane working environment, connecting workers with businesses and trade union organizations.
Another highlight is the work of legal advice, dialogue, negotiation and early warning of the risk of labor disputes.
To date, 55 legal advisory groups have been established at grassroots trade unions; 15 commune and ward trade unions have also established legal advisory groups.
This is a force close to workers, close to businesses, capable of receiving information, answering policies, supporting workers and early warning of the risk of disputes arising.
This approach helps the Trade Union organization shift from passive handling to early and remote prevention; contributing to maintaining production, stabilizing jobs, ensuring the rights of workers and the investment environment of the province.
Linking Party building with enhancing the role and position of Trade Unions
Thanh Hoa Trade Union is also showing its role in participating in building Party organizations at enterprises, especially in foreign-invested sectors.
Initially, Trade Union levels have coordinated with local Party committees to review sources, detect outstanding union members, foster the masses and promote the establishment of 3 Party cells in the FDI enterprise block.
This result is not only meaningful for the development of the Party organization but also contributes to consolidating the political foundation in the worker contingent, bringing the Party's leadership role closer to businesses, workshops, production groups and the lives of workers.
The new point in the approach is to link building the Party organization with building a strong Trade Union organization; taking party members who are trade union officials and outstanding union members as the nucleus of propaganda, mobilization and gathering of workers.
In places that meet the conditions, orienting the model of Party cell secretary concurrently being the chairman of the grassroots trade union can create unity between the leadership role of the Party organization and the function of representing, caring for and protecting workers of the Trade Union organization.
This model contributes to overcoming difficulties in Party development in non-state enterprises and FDI enterprises. The activities of the Party organization are associated with the workers' movement, trade union activities and specific issues of employment, income, working conditions, occupational safety and health, dialogue and labor relations.
From nearly 6,000 opinions received, nearly 200 grassroots trade unions organized skills competitions, 72 businesses organized "Trade Union Meals", 21 models of worker cultural space, 55 legal advisory groups at grassroots trade unions, 15 legal advisory groups at commune and ward trade unions and 3 Party cells established in the FDI enterprise block, it can be clearly seen the innovation in the way Thanh Hoa Trade Union works.
That is not to launch a general campaign but to identify each specific task; not to mobilize by administrative orders but by explaining, persuading and accompanying; not only to care for when workers are in difficulty but also to create conditions for them to learn a trade, practice a trade, improve their profession, be creative and enjoy the fruits of development.
Innovating thinking in activities
The contribution of the Trade Union organization to the "double-digit" growth target is not a mechanical addition to the revenue or output of the enterprise.
That contribution is shown through improving skills to increase productivity; promoting initiatives to reduce costs, reduce errors, and save time; building discipline and safety culture to limit risks; caring for, dialoguing, and negotiating to stabilize jobs and retain workers; providing legal advice and early warnings to prevent disputes and maintain continuous production.
Listening to understand reality correctly; explaining to create consensus; acting to consolidate trust; mobilizing and persuading union members and workers to participate in implementation - that is a method of operation that both inherits deep grassroots traditions and demonstrates innovation in the thinking and working methods of Thanh Hoa Trade Union.
From specific actions at each grassroots trade union, enterprise and production group, the Trade Union organization is gradually arousing the intelligence, sense of responsibility and aspiration to contribute of union members and workers; accompanying businesses to stabilize production, improve productivity and improve workers' lives.
Through this, Thanh Hoa Trade Union contributes to the locality in implementing the goal of rapid and sustainable development and promoting "double-digit" growth.
