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In Nghe An, a female union official once said that one day her daughter asked: "Mom, you're so busy with all the money in the union?" She could only smile, rubbing her head: "Because there are many people out there who need me." That simple answer contains all the nature of the work of women working in trade unions - they care for the happiness of others, and are also building their own happiness.
Not everyone understands the work of a union official. They are not only the one to protect the rights of workers in disputes, but also a friend, a sister, a second mother - caring for the spiritual life of millions of union members. For female cadres, that job requires more than patience, empathy and silent sacrifice.
They come to workers not with position, but with heart. Travels to factories, construction sites, and industrial parks in the hot or thunderstorms have become familiar. When the COVID-19 epidemic broke out, the shade of the union blue shirt, including many women, still appeared in the most difficult places: Bringing necessities, calling for support, connecting hearts, encouraging "3 on-site" workers to keep the production rhythm.
They are busy, but that is the busy of love - the busy thing that makes their lives meaningful.
Being a union cadre, especially at the grassroots level, requires not only enthusiasm but also courage. "If you don't have courage, don't be a union official" - the saying of a veteran female official has been repeated by many generations. Courage to protect others, to dare to say the right thing and be steadfast in the face of difficulties.
In many enterprises, when the rights of workers are violated, union officials are the first to stand up to dialogue with business owners, a bridge for the voices of workers to be listened to. They must understand the rules, be skillful and brave enough to fight and stabilize the team. These are tense negotiations, but behind them are the peaceful smiles of hundreds, thousands of workers - that smile is the greatest reward.
The happiness of a female union official often does not lie in a cozy private house, but in the grateful eyes of the workers who are helped. They sacrifice time for their families and children to take care of others. Sudden business trips, sessions returning to the workers' dormitory at midnight, temporarily putting aside housework to go to provide relief in flooded areas - all are voluntary choices.
Some people say that union women are the ones who keep the warmth of the collective. They take care of small things but create great strength: Organize visits to workers when they are sick, encourage families in difficulty, give scholarships to children of poor workers, or simply a greeting, a handshake in the middle of the holiday season.
From those small actions, happiness spreads. Because happiness, after all, is seeing others feel secure.
Mr. Kha Van Tam - Chairman of Nghe An Labor Federation once told me: "Women's union is not noisy. They use softness to resolve conflicts, use sincerity to connect people's hearts. That is the "soft power" of women - making workers trust and respect businesses.
Perhaps, the happiness of a union woman is not measured by salary or position. It is part of the feeling of trust, being accompanied by workers to overcome difficulties. When they see a worker receiving back their owed wages, a child going to school, or a roof built from the Trade Union Shelter Fund - they know that their work is meaningful.
Caring for the happiness of others - that is also the way they nurture their own happiness. Because the joy of workers is also their joy; the worker's worries are also their concern.
Wearing a union blue shirt is an honor, but it is also a great responsibility. And where there is the laughter of workers, there are the footsteps of quiet, persistent women - those who are turning the two words "happiness" into a reality in today's workers' lives.
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Not only is she a movement organizer, the female union official is also a "fire keeper" for thousands of union members and workers. In Dong Nai, Ms. Bui Thi Bich Thuy, Permanent Vice President of the Provincial Federation of Labor, is often present in industrial parks whenever there are changes in jobs, wages, and regimes. We have to listen to the workers in every small detail, because behind every sound is a roof, a life, said Ms. Thuy.
Dong Nai currently has about 750,000 union members. Under the direction of people like Ms. Thuy, the Trade Union organization has flexibly implemented many practical models: "Union Shelter", "Tet Sum Vay", "Collisional wedding", "Union Meal", "Worker's Tet Market" ... Each program aims at a simple thing: Helping workers feel secure in their work, maintain trust and stick with the organization.
A typical example of caring for union members is a collective wedding ceremony. In 2024, at Pousung Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Bau Xeo Industrial Park, Dong Nai), the union organized a collective wedding ceremony for 9 worker couples in difficult circumstances.
One of the brides at the wedding ceremony - emotionally said: "I was orphaned since I was a child, my husband was the same. The two fell in love and lived together for 10 years, only registered their marriage but never got married. Thanks to the union, my dream of becoming a bride came true. Behind those smiles are the silent efforts of female union officials - those who connect, mobilize businesses, sponsors, prepare bouquets of flowers and rings for workers.
In many localities, female union officials have turned the concept of "caring for workers' lives" into a specific action. Not only stopping at material support, they bring spiritual value - something that many workers far from home really need.
Behind the business trips and all-night dialogues, female union officials still return to the small house where they are mothers, wives, and children. They take care of every meal and sleep for their children, while still completing professional and grassroots work.
A female union official in the textile and garment industry shared: "Work requires a lot of travel, sometimes not coming home for a whole week. But I understand that if I want workers to trust the union, I must first be a woman who knows how to cultivate and keep my family's promises."
Many female union officials have sacrificed their own time to bring happiness to others. For them, the line between "work" and "family" has almost disappeared. The familiar saying "everyone is responsible for the country's affairs and the family's affairs" is not a slogan, but a reality that they live in every day.
Not stopping at weddings, the programs " stepmother", "Tet Love", "Accompanying women in the border" also spread that caring spirit. Each female union cadre is a breath of life of kindness, connecting businesses, governments, and social organizations to help those in difficult circumstances. They organize free health check-ups, give savings books to workers with serious illnesses, and mobilize the construction of "Union Shelter" houses for unemployed workers.
From a broader perspective, those actions are the act of "building a social home", where each person feels cared for and shared.
The era of digital transformation and international integration opens up many opportunities but also many challenges. Female workers, especially in industrial parks, are vulnerable to the impact of automation and market fluctuations. Therefore, the role of female union officials becomes even more important.
According to the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, the current rate of female union members accounts for more than 60%, but the rate of female key union officials at some levels is still low. To enhance the role of women, many localities have implemented the program "Improving the capacity of female union officials in the new period", equipping them with knowledge of law, collective bargaining skills, communication skills and digital technology.
Permanent Vice President of Dong Nai Provincial Federation of Labor - Bui Thi Bich Thuy said: "We encourage female cadres to study all their lives, boldly apply technology to manage trade union activities, while still maintaining the softness and sophistication - the unique strength of women."
Today's female union cadres not only represent women in factories or offices, but also are a miniature image of Vietnamese women in the new era - courage, intelligence, and humanity.
They know how to use social networks to promote policies; know how to listen and dialogue with employers with understanding language; know how to arouse the desire to live positively among young workers. More importantly, they bring a belief: Despite rapid changes in society, there are still women who silently preserve the bond between people.
When the factory lights go out, when workers' vehicles leave the industrial park, there are still female union officials staying, checking the list of union members in difficulty, calling to visit sick workers, or taking notes on the plan for the upcoming Workers' Month. They do not have a beyond, but the light from their hearts spreads in every small act.
From factories, accommodation to agencies, hospitals, schools... everywhere there are shadows of those silent women. They are the "fire keepers" who warm their homes, warm the homes of millions of workers, contributing to creating a more just, civilized and humane society.
That is the way that female union officials today on the journey to sow seeds of happiness.
