AI applications improve labor productivity
Mr. Nguyen Van Phong - a worker in Hanoi, told a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper that he once went through a difficult period when he first started working. The volume of dossiers, procedures, and documents was so dense that he spent hours processing them, the work efficiency was not high, and he even had to work through noon to complete the task.
The turning point came when he accessed AI tools such as Gemini and ChatGPT. Initially, he used AI to build mindset diagrams for work, then expanded to supporting report drafting, suggesting content and text structure.
Instead of spending many hours reading and summarizing documents, he only needs to make specific requests, the AI will propose preliminary content. The rest is post-inspection and revision to suit the reality of the unit.
AI helps me save a lot of time and also creates more inspiration when working," said Mr. Phong - "Based on that, I propose applying more artificial intelligence to work for members of the company. It's really fun to have the strong support of trade union officials and create a widespread movement.
From another perspective, Ms. Le Thi Tam - a marketing employee in Hanoi - admitted that the rapid development of AI makes her worried about the risk of being eliminated. But instead of avoiding, Ms. Tam chose to adapt: learning how to use AI as a support tool. According to her, workers should not see AI as a competitor, but as a "lever" to improve productivity and personal value.
I think in the new era, the role of organizations, especially trade union organizations, in accompanying and leading workers to boldly apply technology is very large. This is no longer a challenge, but an opportunity" - Ms. Tam said.
The story of Mr. Phong and Ms. Tam is typical of a large labor force today. In the context of digital transformation, artificial intelligence and automation are profoundly changing the labor market, the Trade Union organization plays an important role in mobilizing and supporting union members and workers to study lifelong, improve professional skills, life skills, working style and technology mastery.
Lifelong learning is no longer a slogan
The labor market is changing faster than ever. Jobs that have been stable for many years can be replaced by automated lines, management software, robots, artificial intelligence or new production models. Many skills that were once considered sufficient for workers to stick with the business for a long time have now become outdated if not updated regularly.
In that context, lifelong learning is no longer a general slogan, but has become a vital requirement for each worker. Learning to not fall behind. Learning to keep jobs. Learning to have the opportunity to increase income. Learning to change careers when necessary. Learning to become a worker who is only familiar with fixed operations can become a worker who knows how to operate new equipment, understand technical processes, use digital tools and participate in production improvement.
This is also one of the important tasks of the Trade Union organization in the new period. The Trade Union must not only care for the material life, protect the legitimate rights and interests of union members and workers, but also accompany them on the journey to improve knowledge, skills and adaptability. Because in the digital age, protecting workers is not only protecting their current jobs, but also helping them have the ability to maintain their positions in the future.
The draft Report of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (XIII term) at the XIV Congress of the Vietnam Trade Union, term 2026 - 2031 sets out responsibilities for the Trade Union organization: "Participating in building a learning society, a lifelong learning movement, mobilizing union members and workers to study, improve their qualifications, professional skills, life skills, working style, adaptability, mastery of technology, become "Digital Citizens", "Digital Workers", "Digital Laborers" adapting to the 4th Industrial Revolution. Proposing and coordinating the development of mechanisms and policies, implementing solutions to ensure sustainable employment for workers, participating in developing new and modern production forces, contributing to improving labor productivity. Consolidating and investing resources, improving the quality of training institutions of the Trade Union organization, actively participating in the process of training, retraining and improving skills for workers".
Over the years, the image of the Trade Union organization has often been associated with practical activities such as taking care of Tet, supporting union members in difficult circumstances, protecting their rights in labor relations, negotiating wages, meals, working conditions, housing, and social welfare. These activities are still very necessary, especially for workers who still face many difficulties in income and life.
In the new context, caring for workers needs to be understood more broadly. Caring is not only immediate support, but also creating a foundation for long-term development. A gift can help workers alleviate difficulties at one time, but a skills training course can open up better career opportunities for them for many years. A legal advice program helps workers understand their rights, but a digital skills training program can help them confidently step into modern production lines.
Trade unions need to strongly shift from care in the direction of support to care in the direction of development. Workers need to have access to vocational training programs, retraining, and fostering soft skills, digital skills, occupational safety skills, communication skills, personal financial management skills, and change adaptation skills. These are very practical skills, helping them not only work better but also live more proactively, confidently and safely.
In a modern production environment, workers not only need skillful hands but also digital thinking. A worker who knows how to read machine parameters, understands technical warnings, knows how to record operating errors, and knows how to propose improvements based on data will have a completely different value compared to a worker who only follows habits. When businesses transform digitally, if workers are not trained in time, the skill gap will widen and the risk of being replaced will be present.
The Trade Union organization has a special advantage in promoting this process. The Trade Union is close to workers, understands the needs of each labor group, and grasps the difficulties of workers at the grassroots level. From there, the Trade Union can coordinate with businesses, vocational education institutions, and training centers to develop appropriate training programs. It is not necessary to start with large, theory-intensive courses. It can be short-term classes after work, online courses, digital tool instruction sessions, programs "each worker a new skill", "each production team an innovation".
One of the major challenges of the current labor market is the risk of job shifts. When businesses innovate technology, there are positions that will reduce demand, but at the same time, new positions also appear. The question is whether workers are prepared to transition or not?
Without retraining, workers may be pushed out of the labor market as technology changes. But if they are trained in time, they can switch from simple jobs to jobs with higher value. This is key to ensuring sustainable employment.
To improve the quality of human resources, the Trade Union organization needs to better promote its role as a bridge. A bridge between workers and businesses. A bridge between production needs and training programs. A bridge between State policies and the reality of workers' lives. A bridge between workers' aspirations for learning and specific learning opportunities.
To do that, it is necessary to consolidate and invest resources for training institutions of the Trade Union organization. These institutions not only train trade union officials, but can also participate more deeply in vocational skills, digital skills, legal skills, safety skills, and adaptive skills for workers. This is an important direction for the Trade Union not to stand outside the process of developing new and modern production forces.
Trade unions must be companions, protectors, connectors and promoters so that each union member and worker has more opportunities to learn, develop and rise up. When workers become stronger in knowledge, skills and bravery, businesses will become stronger, the economy will be more dynamic, and the country will have more sustainable resources to develop in the new era.
