Strengthening Ho Chi Minh City Trade Union in the new term

Photo caption — View of the conference to collect opinions on November 7.

On November 7, the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation held a conference to collect comments on the Draft Political Report to be submitted to the 1st Congress of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Union, term 2025 - 2030. At the conference, delegates focused on evaluating the achievements of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Union in the past time, and at the same time pointed out the shortcomings and limitations that need to be overcome at the grassroots level. On that basis, many key solutions were proposed to stabilize the lives of workers in Ho Chi Minh City.

Mr. Huynh Van Tuan, member of the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation (HLF), highly appreciated the initiative and innovation of the City's trade union system in the past term. Accordingly, activities to care for the lives, represent and protect the legitimate rights of workers have made clear changes, contributing to significantly reducing labor disputes and building a more harmonious working environment than before.

However, Mr. Tuan said that in order to truly strengthen the trade union organization from the grassroots, there needs to be a strategy to train and develop a team of trade union officials in the direction of "both red and professional". In particular, trade union officials in wards, communes, industrial zones, and special production zones need to be supplemented with legal knowledge, negotiation skills, and the ability to listen and resolve practical situations.

“The target of increasing 2 million union members in the new term is a huge challenge, especially in the informal labor sector. To do this, we must have a flexible and creative approach and bring practical values to union members. In addition, each year, unions at all levels need to strive to have 2-3% of outstanding union members admitted to the Party to improve the quality of the team and affirm the role of the working class in the new period.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Nguyen Trung Ngan, member of the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation, said that the content of negotiating and signing collective labor agreements should be emphasized more clearly in the report. According to him, the agreement must become a "substantive tool" rather than a formality, and should focus on provisions that bring direct benefits such as shift meals, internal benefits, support for workers' families, working conditions and minimum wages according to position.

In addition, the issue of occupational safety and hygiene must also be included in the collective labor agreement, and the Secretariat's guidance on health protection and a safe working environment for union members must be followed. "All targets set for the new term must ensure feasibility, linked to the capacity and implementation conditions at the grassroots level to gradually improve the spiritual and material life of workers," said Mr. Trung Ngan.

One of the issues that delegates were particularly interested in was the social housing policy for workers. Mr. Cu Phat Nghiep, Chairman of the Labor Union of PouYuen Vietnam Company, said that in reality, there is no shortage of low-cost accommodation, but workers need a stable and long-term place to live. The target of building 50,000 social housing units in the next term is appropriate, but it is necessary to clearly define the implementation model to ensure efficiency and suitability to actual needs. If houses are only built for rent, it will be difficult to attract workers. What they want is to own a home, have a stable life, and be attached to their workplace instead of always being in a temporary state.

From there, Mr. Phat Nghiep also proposed a model of installment sales of social housing for workers, with preferential interest rates and long-term payment periods. This is considered a solution to help workers "settle down", while creating a sustainable connection between businesses - workers - the city.

Mr. Phat Nghiep also cited the worker housing model in Dong Nai and Long An , which has shown clear effectiveness. When workers have stable accommodation, the rate of attachment to the enterprise increases, labor productivity and work spirit are also improved. If Ho Chi Minh City does not have strong enough policies, workers will consider moving to neighboring areas with better conditions.

Standing Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Confederation of Labor Vo Khac Thai acknowledged the enthusiastic contributions of delegates and affirmed that the set targets were built on the spirit of determination to innovate, in line with the orientation of the City Party Committee and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor.

However, Mr. Thai also said that the target of developing union members is high but completely feasible if the entire union system unanimously innovates its operating methods, focuses on the grassroots and takes workers as the center. This is a matter of survival for the union organization.

"In the coming term, the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation will continue to implement practical life care programs; strengthen dialogue and negotiation; promote workers' innovation initiatives; coordinate with the government and businesses to create a safe and humane working environment," said Mr. Vo Khac Thai.

According to Mr. Khac Thai, recently, Ho Chi Minh City has also developed projects to develop social housing for workers and has also been included in the priority task group, combined with solutions to support loans, improve union members' welfare and expand cultural and community spaces in industrial parks. In addition, the new term places higher demands on grassroots union officials. Therefore, union officials must truly be the "spiritual support" of workers, not only mastering the law, negotiating and dialogue effectively, but also being close to and understanding the feelings of workers at the workplace, boarding houses, and industrial parks.

Mr. Khac Thai also suggested that each union official proactively innovate their thinking, be flexible in the method of gathering union members, boldly apply digital technology in managing and providing union services, contributing to making the union organization an increasingly professional and modern representative force.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/van-de-quan-tam/tang-suc-manh-cong-doan-tp-ho-chi-minh-trong-nhiem-ky-moi-20251107185157278.htm