Party, State leaders attend 12th congress of Vietnamese trade unions

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong attends a session of the 12th Congress of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour in Hanoi on September 25

The event saw the participation by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

Former Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, former Presidents Tran Duc Luong and Truong Tan Sang, and former Chairmen of the National Assembly Nguyen Van An and Nguyen Sinh Hung were also present.

In its report, the 11th-tenure VGCL Executive Committee said the entity has the functions of a people’s organisation under the Party’s leadership while representing workers in labour relations.

Over the last five years, the VGCL has made strong reforms to fulfill its tasks, the executive committee reported, noting that trade unions have pushed ahead with caring for and protecting the rights and interests of workers and their members.

Trade unions have advised the Party and State about a plan on building facilities for workers such as housing, nurseries and entertainment places in industrial parks and export processing zones, and taken part in the investment and construction of these works.

The VGCL has effectively played its role as the representative of workers in the National Wage Council, as it helped raise minimum wage by more than 55 percent in the past five years, according to the report.

It added that the negotiation, signing and monitoring of collective labour agreements (CLAs) have improved. Almost 27,870 CLAs have been signed in the trade union system so far, up 5 percent from the beginning of the 11th term.

Routine and unscheduled dialogues with workers have been held. The VGCL has held three dialogues between the Prime Minister and workers nationwide since May 2016, helping address difficulties facing the working class.

The VGCL Executive Committee also highlighted improvements in trade unions’ inspection, examination and supervision, along with legal aid. They have moved to improve the working environment and coordinated with authorities, sectors and employers to solve labour disputes, helping ensure harmonious labour relations in businesses.

President of the 11th-tenure VGCL Bui Van Cuong said there were more than 10 million trade union members nationwide as of the end of November 2017, up 2.1 million from the term’s beginning.

The VGCL’s external activities have also obtained important outcomes, helping promote Vietnamese trade unions’ stature in the international labour and trade union movements and capitalising on foreign support in the field of labour and trade unions, he added.