Raising political awareness of the Vietnamese working class in the spirit of Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW

Workers face many challenges

By 2023, the number of workers working in public service and receiving salaries in enterprises and cooperatives accounted for about 14% of the population, 27% of social workers, but together with enterprises and employers, they have created a large part of the material wealth for society.

The education level and professional qualifications, professional skills, industrial style, sense of organization, political and legal awareness of workers have been increasingly improved; gradually mastering advanced science and technology has contributed significantly to restructuring, promoting growth and improving the quality of the country's economy.

However, our working class is also facing many challenges, the subjective reason being that "The quality of our workforce and laborers also shows signs of disappointment and inadequacy; there are still many union members and laborers with awareness and vocational skills that do not meet the requirements of the labor market". (1)

This is also a group of subjects that is vulnerable to being taken advantage of by hostile forces and political opportunities to incite instability in political security and social order and safety to sabotage our Party and State from the grassroots. At the same time, when working in a business environment, there are many causes leading to disputes related to rights and policies. This is an inevitable objective phenomenon in the market economy, because when participating in labor relations, both employees and employers set their own goals and try to achieve them to the best.

Employees tend to demand wages and benefits at the highest possible level, while employers tend to cut costs, wages and other working conditions to the lowest possible level. Therefore, the possibility of conflict, disagreement and dispute is inevitable.

Propaganda, education, and raising political awareness among workers are contributing to building harmonious, stable, and progressive labor relations in enterprises; at the same time, enhancing "resistance" to distorted and propagandizing arguments, inciting the sabotage of hostile forces and political opportunity elements.

In addition, there are still a part of workers who... are not interested in basic, long-term, strategic issues such as class awareness, political courage, role, historical mission, responsibility of the working class...(2) that one of the reasons to be concerned about is not comprehensively recognizing and evaluating the historical mission of the Vietnamese working class in terms of politics, economy, culture... of this class.

In many cases, only looking at each group of subjects or each individual, specific group of workers such as migratory workers with many difficulties in life, simple workers with low incomes...; especially only looking at quantity and the present, without seeing the quality and future of the Vietnamese working class. Vietnam is in the process of national development, industrial transformation and international integration, so the working class will develop strongly, become more modern, and grow strongly (3)

In addition, when mentioning the contributions of businesses, the role of workers seems to be very vague, while they are the ones who directly produce products with good value and quality, with initiatives and innovations that bring success to businesses, affirming the brand and position of businesses in the market, as "value capital", an "organic" factor inseparable from businesses.

Therefore, raising political awareness among workers, on the one hand, so that workers better understand their class, be attached to their work and proud of their contributions to businesses and the country.

On the other hand, to make society understand more accurately and fully the Vietnamese working class - the class with a great historical mission of leading the revolution through the Forward Party of the Communist Party of Vietnam; representing the advanced production method; pioneering in building socialism, taking the lead in the cause of industrialization and modernization; the core in the alliance of the working class with the peasantry and the Vietnamese intellectual community4.

Union tasks

Propaganda and mobilization of workers is one of the three important functions of the Trade Union organization that has been adopted. The purpose of the trade union is to propagate and mobilize workers to study, improve their qualifications and professional skills, comply with the law, build and protect the Fatherland as prescribed by the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Along with that is to raise workers' political awareness; encourage, motivate and motivate workers to enthusiastically participate in patriotic emulation movements; make workers and laborers deeply imbued with the ideological system of the working class, clearly recognize the historical role and mission of their class in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland; grasp and deeply understand the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws, the traditions of the nation, the traditions of the Vietnamese working class.

Thereby, helping workers take voluntary action, becoming the pioneering class, creating the ability to attract all classes in society to participate in revolutionary movements with workers as the core.

Over the years, the Trade Union organization has actively applied digital technology, the Internet and social networks to improve the effectiveness of propaganda, political and ideological education, dissemination of laws, information communication and enhance interaction and sharing to create closer connection between union members and the trade union; forming extensive political activities and activities with great influence among employees.

The Executive Committee of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor issued a Program to promote trade union communication work; a project to propagate and mobilize workers on social networks... Trade unions at all levels improve the effectiveness of the program in coordination with media agencies; form social networking sites; improve the quality of electronic information sites; deploy focused and key communication campaigns; organize many cultural events to attract the attention of union members, employees and public opinion; coordinate in organizing political theory classes for grassroots trade union officials; train employees to "Improve political and legal knowledge". Many units maintain the model of "Self-management group of workers' dormitories" well; build a core union cadre force, a force of reporters and propagandists at all levels.

The work of building a cultural life for workers is valued. Many units have proactively recommended and proposed to the authorities at the same level, employers and mobilized social resources to build cultural institutions to serve the spiritual life of union members and workers.

The grassroots trade unions in many local labor federations and central industry trade unions have many union members and workers who are ethnic and religious people, and have cared for, organized and created conditions for workers to participate in religious and belief activities, promoting national cultural identity.

With the policy of developing a socialist-oriented market economy, promoting industrial parks and export markets in the country and international integration, the economic structure will strongly transform towards rapidly increasing the proportion of industries and services, reducing the proportion of labor in the agricultural and forestry sectors.

The quality of employees in the coming years tends to improve their educational and professional qualifications, gradually being intellectualized, in which employees with high educational and professional qualifications are the core part of the GCCN.

The 4th industrial revolution, the digital transformation process, automation, the use of machines, artificial intelligence... are increasing pressure on cutting working hours, employment, directly affecting the income of workers, bringing about profound changes in production relations and social relations, such as: Relations between owners and workers, especially in joint ventures, 100% foreign-invested enterprises, private enterprises; relations between workers and unions; relations between workers and farmers, between industry and agriculture, between urban and rural areas; relations between workers and intellectuals; relations between the GCCN and the Party...

The globalization process can increase the income gap with the lives of workers, increase the rich - poor gap and pose risks of traditional cultural values being violated, dominated by foreign values such as the practical and open lifestyle, which will harm national culture and negatively impact the lifestyle of workers.

In the above context, the work of disseminating and mobilizing to raise political awareness for workers needs to focus on a number of key issues.

First of all, it is necessary to innovate the content of propaganda on the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws, especially those related to workers and trade unions, contributing to consolidating and raising awareness of the working class, the Party, the Trade Union, and the ability to protect the legitimate rights of workers.

Focus on investing in building and diversifying propaganda products, proactively orienting and spreading among union members and workers, contributing to raising political awareness, awareness of law compliance, labor discipline, industrial style for union members and workers in a practical, easy-to-reach direction, strongly applying information technology.

Second, use combined oral propaganda with visual images, or integrate into conferences and union activities, through organizing competitions, dialogues, seminars, talks, solving legal problems, picking democratic flowers... Promote the effectiveness of mass media and social networks, contributing to increasing consensus, strengthening the trust and pride of union members and workers in the organization and activities of trade unions.

Third, improve the quality of the union reporter team; select propaganda staff who are not necessarily full-time union officials but also those in other fields who are enthusiastic, capable, knowledgeable, have skills and vivid propaganda methods. Develop and perfect appropriate investment policies for propaganda, education activities and preferential policies through the activities of labor cultural houses, workers' clubs, mass media systems, cultural and sports activities and activities of social union organizations.

Fourth, build and organize the material and spiritual life of workers well; promote the implementation of grassroots democracy regulations so that workers can "know, discuss, do, and check" the activities of enterprises and trade unions through the following forms: Dialogue and negotiation on collective labor agreements; exercise the right to complain and report recommendations according to the provisions of law; place boxes of workers' comments;...

Fifth, build Party organizations and socio-political organizations in enterprises, especially private enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises. Strengthen the nature of the GCCN within the Party, have solutions to fight against and refute misconceptions, and deny the historical role and mission of the GCCN. The Party organization among workers must strengthen political construction, ideology, organization, ethics and improve the coordination efficiency of organizations in the political system and employers.

Reference documents:

(1) Speech by General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong at the 12th Congress of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor.

(2) Speech by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the 13th Congress of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor.

3, (4) Urgent need to raise political awareness of workers in non-state enterprises - Associate Professor, Dr. Phan Thanh Khoi, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.