Listening to workers so that policies touch life properly

Do not let workers' petitions be left open

The meeting and dialogue between the National Assembly Delegation, the Chairman of Da Nang City People's Committee and trade union members and workers in 2026 recorded many pressing issues: Social housing is still out of reach, rent pressure, lack of kindergartens, cultural institutions, social insurance debt, risk of job loss due to robots, AI and difficulties of grassroots trade union officials.

With more than 220,000 union members in 1,776 grassroots trade unions, the labor force continues to be an important foundation for Da Nang's growth after the merger, and is also a group that needs to be protected and cared for more practically.

Speaking at the forum, Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan - Member of the Party Central Committee, National Assembly Deputy, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Chairman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (VGCL) emphasized that contacting and dialoguing with workers is not only an activity during Workers' Month, but also an important channel for the National Assembly Delegation, city government and Trade Union organizations to directly listen to the thoughts, aspirations, and recommendations of union members and workers.

Therefore, listening must go hand in hand with the responsibility of answering, removing and monitoring to the end.

From the perspective of the head of the Vietnam Trade Union organization, Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan said that workers' petitions are not just immediate difficulties. Housing, wages, insurance, working environment, vocational training, social security and cultural institutions are all related to the quality of life of workers, the stability of labor relations and the competitiveness of localities and businesses.

Therefore, trade unions at all levels must not only receive feedback, but also closely follow grassroots levels, firmly grasp the situation of union members, especially in industrial parks, boarding houses, and labor-intensive enterprises; promptly summarize and classify recommendations to advise and coordinate with authorities, departments, and businesses to have specific handling directions.

In the position of National Assembly deputy, according to Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, the opinions of workers are an important source of information to reflect to the National Assembly, the Government and competent authorities.

Social security policies must touch the lives of workers

Regarding the group's recommendations on living costs, rent, and travel support, the Da Nang City Department of Finance believes that the proposals to support public service prices, rent, electricity, and water are legitimate in the context of fluctuating prices. In 2026, the city has allocated more than 30 billion VND to subsidize public passenger transport, of which workers are the group that can directly benefit if the policy is more accessible.

Regarding social housing, Da Nang City Department of Construction said that the city has early paid attention to developing housing for workers and low-income people. By 2025, the whole city will have about 20,000 social housing units; of which the city budget will invest about 3,5 trillion VND to build more than 11,000 units. Da Nang also identified 36 projects with about 31,000 units in the coming period.

However, what workers need is not only the number of apartments, but real access. If the rental price and selling price still exceed income, procedures are complicated, and migrant workers do not fully enjoy social security policies and social housing, it is still a distant dream.

Concluding the conference, Chairman of Da Nang City People's Committee Nguyen Manh Hung acknowledged: "There cannot be a civilized and modern Da Nang if those who directly create material wealth for society are not adequately cared for.

City leaders requested strict handling of wage debts, social insurance debts, and black credit in industrial parks; research support for bus tickets, childcare for workers' children and develop more facilities to serve workers. New industrial parks must allocate land funds for dormitories and workers' facilities; existing industrial parks need to have a roadmap to supplement social security infrastructure.

VGCL President Nguyen Anh Tuan said that he will continue to monitor and supervise the process of resolving legitimate petitions, so that the voices of union members and workers can be transformed into practical policies and actions.

See the original here