Celebrating the 96th Anniversary of the Founding of Vietnam Trade Union (July 28, 1929 - July 28, 2025): Organizing, innovating, and improving the quality of trade union activities

On the occasion of the 96th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam Trade Union (July 28, 1929 - July 28, 2025), Khanh Hoa Newspaper, Radio and Television interviewed Mr. Phan Thanh Liem - Vice Chairman of the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, Chairman of the Provincial Labor Federation (LDLĐ) on the results of trade union activities, the workers' and laborers' movement and the orientation of activities in the coming time.

Mr. Phan Thanh Liem - Vice Chairman of the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, Chairman of the Provincial Labor Federation.

- Could you please tell us about the outstanding results of trade union activities and the workers' and laborers' movement in the province in recent years?

- With the spirit of innovation, proactiveness and creativity, trade unions at all levels in the province have strived to overcome many difficulties and challenges, effectively implementing many activities to care for and protect the rights of workers. Through the "Tet Sum Vay" Program in 2025, trade unions at all levels have spent and mobilized nearly 60 billion VND to take care of Tet for union members and workers. During the annual Workers' Month, trade unions have implemented many programs and activities for workers such as: Union meals; workers' markets; union member welfare programs... Grassroots trade unions proactively dialogue and bargain collectively, through which more than 90% of enterprise trade unions have signed collective labor agreements with many contents to ensure the rights of workers.

From the Khanh Hoa Trade Union Charity Fund, in 2024 and 2025, the Provincial Federation of Labor supported the construction and repair of 110 shelters for union members and workers with a total amount of more than 5 billion VND. The union also coordinated with departments, branches and sectors to resolve many petitions of employees in enterprises; effectively used social networks, websites and union fanpages to propagate and connect union members. In addition, in 2024 and the first 6 months of 2025, the Provincial Federation of Labor established 83 grassroots unions, admitted more than 19,000 new union members; developed union models for fishing unions, tourist cyclo, motorbike taxi... to help freelance workers have a place to live and take care of. In particular, unions at all levels have actively introduced 2,407 outstanding union members to the Party for training and consideration for admission. Patriotic emulation movements are widely deployed by trade unions, contributing to arousing creativity among workers and laborers...

- In the past time, how has the Provincial Federation of Labor focused on implementing organizational arrangement and streamlining the apparatus associated with the structure of union staff at all levels, sir?

- The Provincial Federation of Labor has streamlined its apparatus and proactively implemented many solutions to reorganize the trade union system in conjunction with restructuring the staff. In particular, the Provincial Federation of Labor has reduced from 7 committees to 2 committees, namely the Trade Union Working Committee and the Industrial Park Trade Union Committee with 44 full-time staff (50% reduction in staff) and trade union staff of communes and wards; ending trade union activities at the industry and district levels.

In addition, the Provincial Federation of Labor has arranged and assigned cadres according to their capacity and strengths, linking responsibility with work efficiency, avoiding overlapping tasks; participating in giving opinions on the arrangement of commune and ward union cadres in a synchronous and interconnected manner, ensuring the standardization of cadre standards and criteria according to their titles; arranging specialized union cadres to manage the area, creating connectivity and synchronization in directing and guiding activities. Along with that, focusing resources on grassroots unions, closely following the area to care for and protect the rights of workers; building a centralized information system, connecting from the Provincial Federation of Labor to grassroots unions.

- How will activities to care for and protect the legitimate rights and interests of workers at agencies and units that no longer have trade unions be carried out, sir?

- The Provincial Federation of Labor has dissolved and ended the activities of the direct superior grassroots trade unions and grassroots trade unions of administrative agencies and public service units receiving 100% of their salaries from the state budget and the armed forces. In the process of reorganizing the trade union, the care and protection of workers' rights continue to be ensured in accordance with the provisions of the law and the Vietnam Trade Union system. In particular, the Provincial Federation of Labor directly receives and protects the rights of union members and workers at units without trade unions; assigns cadres in charge of the area or unit to continue to monitor, grasp the situation, and promptly support workers when needed; establishes support channels, receives feedback, guides workers to exercise their rights in accordance with the provisions of the law or provides legal support when there are labor disputes or violations of their rights.

The grassroots union of Khanh Hoa State-owned One Member Co., Ltd. coordinated to organize a union meal for workers on the occasion of Workers' Month 2025.

If the employee is a union member, he/she will retain his/her union membership status and his/her rights will be directly protected by the higher-level union; he/she will be allowed to participate in the union's welfare programs; and he/she will be admitted to the union organization at another unit if he/she changes his/her workplace. For units that do not meet the conditions to re-establish a union, the Provincial Federation of Labor will assign a responsible officer to guide the re-organization of the grassroots union when conditions are met.

- To improve the quality of care, protect the rights of union members and workers, and build a strong trade union organization, what contents will the Provincial Federation of Labor focus on implementing in the coming time, sir?

- The Provincial Federation of Labor will focus on developing the organization, union members, building strong grassroots unions, not letting the merger affect the task of caring for and protecting union members' rights; focusing on applying science and technology, digital transformation, innovation in union activities to strengthen propaganda and mobilize workers to join. At the same time, innovate working methods, build a team of exemplary managers with capacity, qualifications, and prestige commensurate with their job positions, meeting high development requirements in the coming time.

The Provincial Federation of Labor also focuses on representing and protecting the legitimate and legal rights and interests of workers with specific solutions such as: Proactively participating in the development of policies related to workers and trade union organizations; promoting the role of supervision and criticism in the implementation of the law; proactively proposing and coordinating with functional agencies to inspect and examine the implementation of policies for workers, promptly handling violations, ensuring all rights of workers; directing representative grassroots unions to organize periodic dialogues, negotiate and sign collective labor agreements; supporting businesses and workers to resolve labor disputes, preventing prolonged collective work stoppages.

Along with that, the Provincial Federation of Labor will promote activities to care for the lives of union members and workers such as: Supporting the construction of shelters; diversifying union welfare programs; improving working conditions, improving the quality of shift meals and accommodation for workers; focusing on innovating operating methods, ensuring smooth direction, no more overlap or avoidance of responsibility according to the KPI quality assessment criteria. At the same time, building a flexible, adaptive and creative commune and ward union model to meet the requirements of representing and protecting the rights of workers; applying information technology and digital communication to connect and grasp the thoughts of workers; directing and coordinating with grassroots unions to launch emulation movements, improving productivity and work efficiency; spreading good models and effective ways of caring for union members...

Thank you!

VAN GIANG (Implementation)

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/xa-hoi/202507/ky-niem-96-nam-ngay-thanh-lap-cong-doan-viet-nam-28-7-1929-28-7-2025-sap-xep-to-chuc-doi-moi-nang-cao-chat-luong-hoat-dong-cong-doan-f5f3c79/