Businesses and employees will benefit

Required conditions for businesses to develop is the stability, no disputes in labour relations. A "key" to ensure a harmonious labour relation between businesses and workers is dialogue between both parties to understand, and share common interests.

A harmonious labour relationship between businesses and workers can be felt at Yazaki EDS Vietnam Company in Di An town. Here, the working environment ensures safety and hygiene. According to the company Trade Union’s Chairwoman Pham Thi Tuyet Nhung, previously, at noon, temperature in the plant was sometimes up to 38°C, affecting productivity of workers. Through dialogues between workers and Board of Directors, this condition was gradually improved. The company invested VND10 billion in the air-cooling system. In 2013, the company continued to invest VND35 billion in an industrial air conditioning system, thus the temperature of the whole plant is less than 28°C. Workers are so pleasant and stick more with the company.

Workers of Hai My Company express their opinions at employee conference.

Realizing the importance of dialogues between companies and employees, Mr. Nguyen Van Thuan, who is Chairman of Vision International Company’s Trade Union in VSIP, said, dialogues between two sides are organized monthly. Department heads are responsible for record opinions from workers then report to Board of Directors. Thereby, the Board of Directors themselves put forward plans without suggestion from Trade Union. Questions of workers are displayed on notice board, and receive solutions and feedbacks from Board of Directors.

Dialogues also contribute to a harmonious relation between company and employees at Esquel Garment Manufacturing Company in VSIP. Some most cared issues are: salary, bonuses; cafeteria menus; manufacturing targets; housing... Each opinion of workers are addressed timely, especially Laws of Labour, Laws of Trade Union…

Dialogue between company and employees is considered to be the solution to create an atmosphere of democracy, openness, mutual understanding and sympathy during work. Even in the Labour Code 2012, there are 3 provisions (62, 63, 64) relating to organizing dialogues at businesses. Dialogues have to be arranged once 3 months or according to request of either party to create opportunities for businesses and employees to share information, aspirations and requirements, thereby increasing strengthen mutual understanding.

Therefore, some companies in Binh Duong have organized dialogues in many forms, such as: annual workers conference, directors meet workers at plants… However, there are some enterprises forget dialogue in the workplace. According to Trade Union’s Chairman Nguyen Minh Hoang of Shyang Hung Cheng Company in Thuan An town, some companies are only interested in production and does not pay attention to dialogue. They are afraid that opening a dialogue will affect labour productivity. On the other hand, union officials in these companies have not enough skills to suggest dialogues to directors.

According to provincial Labour Federation’s Vice Chairwoman Truong Thi Bich Hanh, most employers do not conceive sufficient importance of the organization of dialogue in the workplace and employee conference. Some employers pass the buck to Trade Unions. Some dodge dialogues, because they are afraid of claims from workers; or business owners are also employees and cannot settle requests of workers. 

At the seminar “Consulting effective dialogues in labour relations”, provincial Department of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs’ Deputy Director Nguyen Phung Trung said, to build a harmonious labor relation, we should conduct overall solutions. Firstly, we have to enhance the capacity of State agencies for labor relation management. Trade Union branches need to be improved capabilities, especially in bargaining, negotiation skills. Employees should improve their skills, professional, legal knowledge to protect their rights. In addition, Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs will enhance the inspection at businesses violating Labour Law, wages, social insurance, and other policies…

Reported by T.Tam – Translated by Ngoc Huynh