The union will protect us and promote tourism culture.
In Thang Loi commune, Thuong Tin district (Hanoi), everyone knows the hand embroidery artist Le Van Nguyen. Mr. Nguyen's family has been doing embroidery for three generations. Generations are so attached to fabric, needles, threads, and embroidery frames that they have become an indispensable part of life. Traditional hand embroidery requires meticulousness, dexterity, and passion.
In the 9 basic techniques of traditional hand embroidery, including head-joining, twisting, stabbing, binding, skipping, embroidering, single-bead - double-bead, single-scale - double-scale, and blocking, every stage requires meticulousness and elaboration from the embroiderer, but the most elaborate is embroidering curved lines, borders, blocks, embossed leaf veins, flower calyxes, phoenix eyes...
A work is considered beautiful when the threads are woven together smoothly, the flower calyx and the thread base of each leaf must be even... Saying this shows the hard work of the workers doing traditional hand embroidery.
In mid-August, the Thuong Tin District Labor Federation issued a Decision to establish 3 grassroots trade unions of craft village associations, including Thuong Tin Embroidery Association, Nhan Hien Traditional Sculpture Craft Village Association and Duyen Thai Traditional Lacquer Craft Village Association. Mr. Le Van Nguyen is one of the first union members of the Thuong Tin Embroidery Association grassroots trade union.
He said that the traditional hand embroidery profession is still being maintained and preserved by local households. This is also a source of income for workers during the off-season. Like the labor of some traditional occupations, traditional hand embroidery workers face many difficulties. One of them is product output and working conditions. According to Mr. Nguyen, this job is family-based, taking advantage of off-season agricultural labor, the workplace is cramped, and the culture of behavior towards tourists of each worker is still limited. The limitation here is that workers do not have and do not know how to communicate and introduce the profession to attract and appeal to tourists...
Therefore, when the grassroots Union was established, Mr. Nguyen and other union members were very happy. Mr. Nguyen confided that by becoming a member of the Union, he hoped that his rights and those of the other two union members who are family members would be guaranteed. Mr. Nguyen also hoped that in addition to representing the interests of union members, the Union would organize activities to communicate the cultural values of traditional hand embroidery; educate about tourism culture such as how to welcome guests, how to introduce products and professions to tourists right at home...
This contributes to introducing and preserving the traditional hand embroidery craft. “Now, not only as a member of the Embroidery Association but also as a member of the grassroots Union, I believe my rights will be better guaranteed. But I know that my responsibility towards the profession is also higher because of the preservation and development of the traditional hand embroidery craft,” said Mr. Nguyen.
Regarding the activities of the Thuong Tin Embroidery Association's grassroots union, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhiem - President of the Thuong Tin Embroidery Association's grassroots union said that after being educated and propagated by the Thuong Tin District Labor Federation about the Trade Union organization, the rights and responsibilities of Trade Union members as well as the regime, policies and laws of the State, the grassroots union was established and members of the Embroidery Association voluntarily joined the union. This is an important milestone because the union will perform the role of representing, protecting and caring for union members and workers, thereby contributing to encouraging union members and workers to continue preserving the traditional hand embroidery profession.
Thuong Tin has nearly 130 craft villages, of which nearly 50 are traditional craft villages, typically lacquer, embroidery, wood turning, and sculpture in the villages. The 48 traditional craft villages alone have about 10,000 production facilities and hundreds of enterprises, creating stable jobs for tens of thousands of workers. This is the room for the establishment of grassroots trade unions and the development of union members of the Thuong Tin District Labor Federation. Understanding the needs of workers as well as the requirement for preserving traditional crafts, the Thuong Tin District Labor Federation has promoted the organization of trade unions. By mid-August, the Thuong Tin District Labor Federation had established 3 grassroots trade unions of craft village associations, including the Thuong Tin Embroidery Association, the Nhan Hien Traditional Sculpture Craft Village Association, and the Duyen Thai Commune Traditional Lacquer Craft Village Association.
This activity shows the ceaseless innovation in organization, content, methods of operation, and mobilization to attract more and more workers and civil servants to join the Trade Union organization, especially workers in traditional craft villages. Talking to us, Mr. Nguyen Duy Hien - District Party Committee member, Chairman of the Labor Federation of Thuong Tin district said that the model of grassroots trade unions being replicated will attract a large number of workers in traditional craft villages in the area. The established grassroots trade unions will represent and protect union members and workers, help them to be more attached to their profession, and will have propaganda activities on preserving, maintaining the profession, developing tourism from traditional professions to increase income...
However, according to Mr. Hien, the reality shows that due to the lack of regulations on Union finances, there are difficulties in organizing activities. Mr. Hien analyzed the current regulations on collecting union dues and union funds and the Union model to point out the urgent need for specific guidance on this issue.
“The establishment of grassroots unions to protect the rights and care for workers in traditional occupations is the right target, but to organize many activities, financial guidance is needed quickly. When grassroots unions prove their role and function, especially their important contributions to protecting workers and traditional occupations, many workers in craft villages will join the union. However, they are freelance workers and households, so they do not have a basis for paying social insurance to deduct union dues and union funds, so the union does not have the finances to organize activities...” - Mr. Hien emphasized.
Grassroots unions will attract workers.
Not only in Thuong Tin district, but also in many localities, trade unions at all levels in the country are focusing on establishing grassroots unions, especially in traditional craft villages. First of all, this is a representative to protect the legal and legitimate rights of workers in this area. Next, through its activities, the union will contribute to promoting traditional crafts to preserve and promote their strengths in tourism, introducing products to create conditions to increase income for workers.
As in Thieu Hoa (Thanh Hoa), the District Labor Federation established the Tra Dong Bronze Casting Trade Union, Thieu Trung Commune to gather artisans and workers in the commune's bronze casting craft village into the Union organization. This is the first Trade Union under the Thieu Hoa District Labor Federation to be established with 111 union members, a provisional Executive Committee of 7 people.
The Union takes care of and protects the legitimate rights and interests of its members; provides knowledge, science and technology, seeks markets to improve product quality and income for workers; organizes cultural, sports activities, and community events to unite members and improve their spiritual life; contributes to promoting the development of the bronze casting industry, preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of the locality. The Thanh Hoa Provincial Federation of Labor has presented 15 gifts to union members and provided 5 million VND to support the Union's initial activities.
In Nga Son district (Thanh Hoa), 5 grassroots trade unions for handicraft production in Nga Dien, Nga Thai, Nga Lien, Nga Thuy, and Nga Truong were also established and admitted 1,048 union members.
After being approached, surveyed and propagated by the Nga Son District Labor Federation about the role of the Trade Union; the benefits of workers when becoming Union members, the workers in the handicraft weaving profession of 5 units learned and clearly saw the benefits when participating in the Trade Union, so they voluntarily established a Mobilization Committee under the attention and guidance of the Nga Son District Labor Federation and the support of the Party Committee and the government.
On the occasion of the launching ceremony of the establishment of the grassroots union, the Provincial Labor Federation awarded 95 gifts to 95 union members in difficult circumstances with a total amount of 76 million VND and provided initial financial support to 5 unions, with an amount of 29 million VND...
