Sir, how has the work of protecting workers' rights in the locality changed, and what other inadequacies need to be removed?
- The clearest change point is that the Trade Union has shifted from handling cases to proactively preventing and protecting workers from an early stage, from the grassroots level. After the merger, Gia Lai province has a large area, a large number of businesses and workers, but the Trade Union organization has quickly stabilized its operating model, bringing commune and ward-level Trade Unions closer to union members and workers. Currently, the whole province has 19 commune and ward Trade Unions, directly managing 844 grassroots Trade Unions (CĐCS) with 75,293 union members; especially the non-state sector has 729 CĐCS with more than 61,660 union members.
The clearest result is that dialogue, negotiation and care activities are becoming more and more substantive. In 2025, the whole province has 710 units and enterprises with 10 or more employees building and signing grassroots democracy regulations; 589/871 enterprises with grassroots trade unions signed collective labor agreements. Trade union levels also implemented many care activities with a total budget of nearly 70 billion VND; supported the repair of 45 "Trade Union Homes" with a budget of over 2 billion VND...
However, the biggest problem currently remains the situation of wage arrears, late payment of social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance that has not been completely resolved. As of the end of March 2026, the whole province has 693 units late payment of all types of insurance for 6 months or more, with a total amount of more than 133 billion VND, affecting 3,030 workers. Reality shows that in many cases, workers' rights are still suspended for a long time when businesses stop operating, lose solvency or lack goodwill to cooperate.
Faced with the impact of automation and technology transformation, what solutions does the Provincial Trade Union have to maintain jobs or support livelihood conversion for older workers?
- In Gia Lai, there has been no job loss due to automation and technology transformation, but the pressure of job shift has become clearer. Businesses are increasingly demanding skilled workers, industrial discipline, adapting to new production processes; while a part of unskilled labor, untrained labor is at risk of reducing working hours, reducing income or being replaced in simple, repetitive stages.
The current problem is not only the risk of job loss, but also the increasing gap between the new requirements of businesses and the capacity of workers.
From reality, Gia Lai Trade Union determined not to wait until workers lose their jobs to provide support, but to intervene early. First of all, grasp the group of workers at high risk to dialogue with employers, prioritize vocational training, and rearrange suitable jobs before businesses consider labor cuts.
At the same time, determining that training and improving skills is the most fundamental solution to retain jobs. This is also a necessary direction for workers to access new skills such as machine operation, quality control, labor safety, basic digital skills and industrial style.
For cases where jobs cannot be retained, the Trade Union will focus on protecting rights and supporting livelihood conversion. In which, focus on monitoring the payment of salaries, severance allowances, job loss allowances, unemployment insurance; connecting job service centers, vocational schools and businesses that are recruiting so that workers can soon find new jobs.
From the local reality, what is the biggest inadequacy in salaries and benefits that needs to be proposed for adjustment in the draft Political Report of the Congress?
- Although the lives of workers in the province have gradually improved, the current minimum wage is still quite far from the minimum living needs of workers.
From practice, the Provincial Trade Union proposed that the Draft Political Report of the Congress should more strongly show the task of participating in building a salary mechanism to ensure a substantial minimum living standard for workers; linking salary adjustments with the cost of living index and the specific characteristics of each region and each locality.
It is necessary to identify taking care of UN member welfare as a key task throughout the next term, with specific solutions such as promoting the development of social housing and worker dormitories; expanding support for nurseries and kindergartens for workers' children; strengthening cultural and sports facilities; supporting loans, medical examination and treatment, health care and improving the spiritual life of workers.
In addition, it is necessary to strengthen the representative role in salary and welfare negotiations at enterprises; promptly grasp the difficulties of workers to propose policies suitable to local practices, especially in provinces with many difficulties such as Gia Lai.
In the new context, the Trade Union cannot only resolve complaints when the incident has already occurred, but must proactively "go ahead" through dialogue and collective negotiation, especially regarding salaries, bonuses, working conditions and occupational safety and health.
It is necessary to further emphasize the content of protecting workers in the "digital economy", when more and more new forms of labor such as technology labor and remote work are appearing. This is a group of subjects that still lacks a complete legal framework and needs a suitable protection mechanism.
Next is to create breakthroughs in union development and establishing grassroots trade unions. Faced with the trend of diversifying employee representative organizations at enterprises, the Vietnam Trade Union needs to affirm its position with its inherent attraction, with the effectiveness of caring for and protecting employees.
In parallel, it is necessary to build a team of intelligent, brave, and dedicated Trade Union officials who are trusted and loved by employees. The Draft also needs to propose specific mechanisms to protect grassroots Trade Union officials when fighting to protect the rights of employees, avoiding discrimination or persecution.
Trade union organizations need to manage union members with modern digital platforms; deploy integrated utility applications such as online legal advice, welfare incentives, and receiving feedback from employees...
Finally, there is a strong administrative reform, minimizing paperwork in the Trade Union system, helping information from the VGCL to the grassroots trade union and vice versa to be clear and fast.
Thank you very much, sir!
