What is the experience to develop union members and establish unions in the informal sector
In 2024, the Quang Tri Provincial Federation of Labor and trade unions at all levels conducted a survey, focusing on attracting workers in the informal sector to join the Trade Union organization. Initially, there were expected results, and unions were established one by one in the hope of protecting the legitimate and legal rights and interests of workers.
To help workers understand the trade union and its benefits
Comrade Nguyen Thi Hoai Le - Permanent Vice President of the Quang Tri Provincial Federation of Labor said that through a survey in the province, it shows that the business of passenger transportation and transportation services and workers working on fishing vessels with a length of 15 meters or more operating in offshore areas is increasingly developing.
Many individuals have gathered in clubs to share experiences, support each other in their careers and organize some cultural, sports and volunteer exchange activities... However, workers in this field do not have a representative organization to protect their rights, only coming together on a small scale.
Workers in the informal sector suffer many disadvantages because they have not been adjusted by the labor law system. Informal conditions have a quite negative impact on the income, safety and health of workers, but sometimes they are still forced to do this job to ensure their livelihood in the context of limited social welfare conditions, un guaranteed or unstable income from work.
On the other hand, this is a spontaneous operating model, often fluctuating and scattered, so the organization of activities and the funding source for maintaining operations still face many difficulties.
With current practice, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Federation of Labor has focused on directing and considering the establishment of grassroots unions to gather workers to operate legally in a number of occupations and fields as a solution to gather and attract workers to join the Trade Union organization, said comrade Le.
According to comrade Nguyen Thi Hoai Le, this is a relatively new approach for trade unions at all levels. Therefore, to achieve the effectiveness, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Federation of Labor has issued a specific plan to implement the activity, together with trade unions at all levels to focus on surveying, propagating, mobilizing the development of union members in the informal sector and establishing grassroots unions.
At the same time, the Provincial Federation of Labor guides trade unions at all levels to survey and grasp the labor situation in the informal sector, propagate and mobilize the development of union members, and establish grassroots unions. Support the organization of admitting union members, establish grassroots unions, and provide initial operating funds to grassroots unions.
The Provincial Federation of Labor has directed trade unions at all levels to approach and propagate and mobilize workers in the informal sector to understand the trade union organization and the rights of workers when joining the trade union organization so that they can wish to be admitted to the union and establish a grassroots trade union. During the mobilization process, workers have understood that when participating in trade unions, the legitimate and legal rights and interests of workers will be cared for and protected by the Trade Union organization.
In particular, their opinions and wishes will be reflected by the union and recommended to competent authorities for resolution. The union is a spiritual support, a place where union members share, support, encourage, and help each other in work and life.
The union is also a place to propagate and mobilize union members to implement the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws and encourage union members to strive to compete in labor and production, contributing to building their homeland to develop more and more.
"In 2024, the initial results have established 02 grassroots unions with 87 workers participating in the Trade Union organization. Specifically, the Cua Viet Town Fisheries Union was established with 60 members; the Automobile Drivers Union for Passenger Transport and Transportation Services was established with 27 members, comrade Le excitedly informed.
At the establishment ceremony of the Cua Viet Town Fisheries Union at the end of November 2024, Mr. Luong Van Hau (43 years old) said that he has been fishing for many years; since 2014, he and 13 other crew members have started fishing far from shore, about 200 nautical miles from the coast. During the process of drifting on a net to fish at sea, he and the crew members often have to face many dangers, especially in rough seas, facing many large waves.
"After being promoted and mobilized by the union, we hope to join the union to have a connection, bringing greater efficiency to fishermen fishing in the fishing grounds. From now on, fishermen go out to sea and return in groups, always communicating with each other. No matter what, there must be an organization that gathers people to promote strength, Mr. Hau shared.
Experience in attracting informal workers, establishing trade unions
According to Comrade Nguyen Thi Hoai Le - Permanent Vice President of the Quang Tri Provincial Federation of Labor, from the initial results of 2024 in developing union members and establishing grassroots unions in the informal sector, in the coming time, the Provincial Federation of Labor will focus on the following tasks:
First, continue to implement plans on developing union members, building grassroots unions in the informal sector and assign the Labor Federations of districts, towns, cities, and industry unions to coordinate in surveying to grasp the situation and number of professions and informal workers, with clear classification and grouping, thereby having a practical basis to assign targets for establishing grassroots unions.
Second, research and propose support for operating expenses to create prestige, introduce and create conditions for living locations for grassroots unions, mobilize financial support to care for union members when they are newly admitted so that workers who are not union members can compare and choose to join the union.
Third, this is a new job, so in addition to directing implementation, there will be both doing and drawing experience. The Provincial Federation of Labor will direct trade unions at all levels to continue to coordinate with sectors, Party committees, and authorities of districts, towns, and cities to continue to do a good job of propaganda, mobilization, and screening of informal laborers.
Along with that, strongly innovate trade union activities, perform well the functions of the trade union organization, especially pay attention to caring for and protecting the legitimate and legal rights and interests of union members and workers so that they can see the benefits and voluntarily participate in the trade union organization.
Fourth, research, learn from experience and solutions to attract workers in the informal sector to grassroots unions; solutions to care for and protect union members and workers, and guide grassroots unions to operate effectively in provinces and cities with many grassroots unions.
Fifth, organize training on professional development and operational skills for Executive Committee members and inspection committee members of grassroots unions in the informal sector when established and put into operation.
"Hopefully, mobilizing workers in the informal sector to join the Trade Union organization and establish grassroots trade unions to protect the legitimate rights and interests of workers will create a new prospect, contributing to promoting the development of union members and the establishment of grassroots trade unions and grassroots trade unions in Quang Tri province in the coming time," said Comrade Nguyen Thi Hoai Le - Permanent Vice President of the Quang Tri Provincial Federation of Labor.
