Vietnam’s Trade Unions began their 11th congress in Hanoi on July 28, aiming to develop a contingent of skilled employees and better protect their legitimate rights and interests. To fulfil these targets, Dang Ngoc Tung, president of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), said grassroots-level Trade Union organisations must be aware of the legal system in order to deal with the relationship between employers and employees. Employees have staged strikes recently to demand employers meet their rights and interests. However, the number of strikes has fallen considerably thanks to Trade Union intervention. VGCL President Dang Ngoc Tung (R) says Trade Union organisations should be more aware of the labour laws  One of the major reasons behind strikes is that employers fail to abide by the law, i.e. not maintaining insurance for employees, using employee premiums for business operations, and not providing employees with sick or maternity leave insurance. Employees are also concerned about employers’ failure to comply with labour regulations concerning delayed or unpaid wages, and overtime work hours. In an interview granted to VOV prior to the congress, Tung admitted that not all Trade Union organisations at the grassroots level perform their role well. Some are hesitant about holding dialogue with employers to hear employee petitions, leading to labour disputes. In some cases, employers break their promise in realising their agreements with Trade Union organisations concerning pay rise and insurance services for employees. If employers pay no heed to observing labour regulations, Tung said, it is the Trade Union organisations that arrange and lead strikes according to the law, in order to prove their role and strength in businesses. According to the VGCL president, Trade Union organisations will pay more attention to developing membership among fishermen and Vietnamese guest workers overseas. Millions of Vietnamese live off on fishing and most of them still lead a hard life. They should join Trade Union organisations to have their rights and interests safeguarded, he said. The VGCL carried out a pilot project to establish a Trade Union organisation of fishermen in Quang Ngai’s Ly Son district in the previous term, and the model will be replicated in other coastal provinces in the next five years. It also plans to re-establish Trade Union organisations in Vietnam’s main overseas labour markets, such as Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, and Japan, to better protect Vietnamese guest workers’ rights and encourage them to abide by the legal system of their countries of residence. The plan will be submitted to the government for consideration, Tung said. VOV