Honored Leader of Trade Union

The content of workers' movement activities and trade union activities that are practical and meaningful, associated with workers' interests are always created and innovated; thereby, improving the quality and operational efficiency of the trade union organization to attract workers to join the organization, which are the words of Mr. Nguyen Minh Tien, Chairman of the grassroots Trade Union of Thong Dung Shoes Co. Ltd. in Thuan An city.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Tien (2nd from the left) and the representative of the Board of Directors of General Shoes Co. Ltd. give money to support workers living in extremely difficult circumstances, suffering from serious diseases.

To be side by side with the workers

Thong Dung Shoes Co. Ltd. is 100% foreign invested capital with 6,400 workers, of who nearly 6,300 are union members. To affirm his position in the enterprise, the trust of the Board of Directors and workers, Mr. Tien is always together with the Executive Committee of the grassroots trade union of the company focusing on building a stable labor relationship of harmony and progress. That is to actively coordinate with business owners to organize employee conferences and dialogues at the workplace. By the activity, the suggestions related to the thoughts and aspirations of the workers are listened to, answered by the Board of Directors to have solutions to stabilize the life and employment of the workers.

Mr. Tsai Pu Chuo, Director of Thong Dung Shoes Co. Ltd., said: “The company regularly holds periodic dialogues at the workplace during the year, so it has grasped and promptly resolved the aspirations of workers." When there are knots to loose in labor relations, trade unions actively seek to solve them from the very beginning, promptly protect the legitimate interests of workers and stabilize production activities for enterprises. The efforts of Mr. Tien and the Executive Committee of the grassroots trade union of the company have created trust not only from workers but also business owners; thereon, proposals and recommendations related to the interests of workers have received consensus.

Currently, the company is implementing more beneficial welfare policies for employees. Specifically, the attendance bonus is VND 600,000 a person a month; travel allowance by means of transport VND 200,000 a person a month; rent support VND 250,000 a person a month; female workers who give birth to children are supported with 1 month's basic salary. Especially in 2021, although there is no regulation on adjusting the basic salary of the State, the company's grassroots union actively proposes to increase the salary by VND 350,000 which was approved by the enterprise. Similarly, at the beginning of 2022, the company also increased the salary by VND 300,000 for workers before there was a regulation to increase the maximum salary of the State. Currently, the lowest salary of workers is VND 6.5 million a person a month with the highest at VND 18 million a person a month.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tinh, a worker working at the company, said: "The company's grassroots trade union often actively proposes to business owners practical care regimes for union members and workers. . Thanks to that, our work and income are constantly improving to work with peace of mind, and staying with the company for a long time…”

“There are times when the grassroots trade union activities at the company face great difficulties and challenges, but that never makes the union officials at the company falter. On the contrary, grassroots trade union officials always uphold the spirit of solidarity and work together to overcome all difficulties in order to constantly develop the workers' movement and trade union activities," said Mr. Nguyen Minh Tien.

Trusted fulcrum of workers

Not only did he well protect the legitimate interests of workers, but also along with the Executive Committee of the grassroots trade union of the company, he organized many practical activities to take care of the life of trade union members and employees, especially those in extremely difficult circumstances or suffering from a serious illness, or having an occupational accidents. Thereby, he has helped trade union members and workers feel secure to work and stay with enterprises. Specifically, the grassroots trade union of the company organizes giving gifts to trade union members and workers on the annual holiday and Tet holiday, on March 8 and Worker Month; they also organize collective birthdays for workers with birthdays in the month or giving milk to female trade union members who are pregnant or nursing a baby under 12 months of age.

In particular, the company's grassroots trade union always takes the initiative to visit the union members and workers who are sick and call on workers to support their colleagues in difficult circumstances who have a serious illness or relatives with serious illness. For example, in 2020, Mr. Tien has called for and mobilized donations for 5 cases of workers suffering from serious diseases with extremely difficult circumstances with a total amount of over VND 233 million; in 2021, donations have been mobilized to support 4 cases with a total amount of nearly VND 200 million; in the first months of 2022, donations have been mobilized to support 4 cases with a total amount of nearly VND 80 million. As a result, the cases of union members and workers suffering from serious illnesses have received timely attention to have more conditions for disease treatment and return to work.

“In parallel with taking care of and protecting the interests of trade union members, workers, and grassroots trade unions, the company always pays attention to and coordinates with employers to organize and launch movement emulation of "Excellent and Creative labor", "Promoting initiative and technical improvement" among trade unionists and workers. The movement has spread and attracted a large number of workers to respond to participate in many initiatives to improve and rationalize production to help businesses increase productivity, product quality and raise income for workers.

Reported by Do Trong – Thao Nguyen – Translated by Vi Bao