Under the leadership and direction of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence and the Vietnam General Federation of Labour and directly under the General Department of Politics, throughout the past 75 years, the workers’ movements and trade union activities within the Army have constantly developed in all dimensions. Due to the requirements of the cause of building the Army and safeguarding the Fatherland in the current context, the Military Trade Union is required to continue accelerating the building of a strong organisation to meet all task requirements.

In the face of the urgent requirements of the resistance wars and national construction, on 6^th March 1949, the Vietnam Weapon Manufacturing Trade Union (predecessor of the Military Trade Union) was founded. Over 75 years of construction, fighting, and development, the Military Trade Union has always adhered to task requirements, brought into play the spirit of self-reliance, overcome all difficulties, maintained solidarity, and actively responded to competition movements to accomplish the tasks assigned by the Party, the State, and the Army. Up to now, trade unions within the Army, particularly at grass-roots levels have regularly strengthened and built across the board; the contingent of trade union cadres, members, and labourers have grown in both quantity and quality; the operation contents and methods have been creatively generated with multiple innovations; the roles and functions of trade unions in units and enterprises have been affirmed; working environment, material and spiritual life have been improved. Emulation movements and competitions, innovations of initiatives and technical improvement have been promoted while labour safety, hygiene and fire prevention have been effectively ensured. Simultaneously, they have paid due attention to the regimes, policies, rights, and benefits of all trade union members and labourers, especially visiting and supporting those facing risks, natural disasters, epidemics, or severe illnesses. The implementation of welfare programmes such as the housing programme entitled “Trade Union Home and Comradeship” and “Welfare for Trade Union Members” has been effectively carried out. For these achievements, the Military Trade Union has been honoured with numerous noble awards by the State.

General Phan Van Giang commends the Military Trade Union at its 10th Congress

Currently, the task of developing the defence industry, building the Army, and safeguarding the Fatherland impose demanding requirements. The restructuring of the Army including the reorganisation of the military enterprises presents new requirements; meanwhile, Vietnam must fulfil all commitments when participating in commercial new-generation free trade agreements. The emergence of non-trade-union organisations in enterprises will impinge upon the awareness, thoughts, and emotions of the cadres and members of the trade unions and labourers in the Army. Consequently, the Military Trade Union is required to continue the synchronised implementation of policies and measures in order to build a strong organization. In particular, it is necessary to focus on the following contents.

First, continuing to accelerate propagation and education to enhance political awareness and zeal and foster the qualification and skills of trade union cadres, members, and labourers. Accordingly, trade unions at all levels must actively research and advise party committees, commanders, and functional agencies to accelerate propagation and education to enhance political awareness and zeals of the cadres, members, and labourers in accordance with Marxism–Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, the Party’s guidelines, the State’s policies and laws, and the Army’s tasks; the traditions, ideology, and stances of the working class, the qualities of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers”, and the functions and tasks of trade unions. The focus must be placed on the Resolution of the 13^th Party National Congress; Resolution No. 02-NQ/TW issued on 12^th June 2021 by the Politburo (13^th tenure) on renovating the organisation and operation of the Vietnam Trade Union in the current context; the Resolution of the 13^th Congress of the Vietnam Trade Union; the Action Programme of the 10^th Congress of the Military Trade Union and the annual Plan for party work and political work of the General Department of Politics, etc. For great effectiveness, each trade union level must actively renovate and diversify appropriate methods of propagation and education for each subject; attach importance to oral propagation; and effectively utilise Law Bookcase so that all trade union cadres, members, and labourers can study and have a thorough grasp of legal knowledge in working; attach political and legal education to studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics, and manners. Simultaneously, it is necessary to actively enhance cultural standards, professional ethics, skills, expertise, and industrial decorum for labourers; emphasis should be placed on organising periodical training courses, competitions for skilled workers and products, projects, and movements to bring into play initiatives and technical innovations. Manifestations of deteriorating political ideology, ethics, and lifestyles, lack of professionalism in production and business, violations of laws and labour discipline, etc. must be resolutely driven back.

Second, intensifying the leadership and direction of party committees, commanders, political commissars, and political agencies at all levels over the activities of trade unions. This is a pivotal content and measure with decisive significance in building strong trade union organisations. On the foundation of thoroughly grasping the Party’s standpoints on building the working class, the Party's mass mobilisation work, the importance of trade unions, party committees, commanders, political commissars, and political agencies at all levels should strengthen their roles and responsibilities in leadership, direction, guidance, and inspection to facilitate the accomplishment of their function, rights, and responsibilities in accordance with laws and Regulations on the Military Trade Union. These contents must be concretised into monthly, quarterly, and annual leadership resolutions of party committees that fit the characteristics and tasks of agencies, units, and enterprises. The process of leadership and direction requires prompt identification of shortcomings and difficulties to map out solutions and ensure the effective operation of trade unions.

Senior Colonel Nguyen Dinh Duc presents donation for poor labourer

Third, actively renovating the contents and methods to enhance the quality and effectiveness of emulation movements among trade union members and labourers. Adhering to the direction of the General Department of Politics, the Committee of Defence Trade Union must direct and instruct its trade unions at all levels to accelerate Patriotic Emulation movement and concentrate on other movements. During the implementation process, trade unions at all levels are required to keep track of the current situation and propose appropriate measures, objectives, and targets; bring into play the role model of cadres and party members, especially those who are trade union cadres; promote patriotism, responsibility, intelligence, talents, and creativity in developing typical and effective projects, products, initiatives, innovations, and measures to make a contribution to the accomplishment of political tasks of all units and the Army. Initially, the Defence Trade Union Committee must coordinate with functional agencies to advise and propose the promulgation of the Circular of the Ministry of National Defence on “Creative Labour” Reward within the Military Trade Union; formulate mechanisms and policies to care, treat, honour, and commend groups or individuals generating typical projects and initiatives to produce all-pervasive effects and encourage the accomplishment of all assigned tasks.

Fourth, constantly building strong trade unions and a contingent of qualified trade union cadres and members. This pivotal measure functions as a driving force that directly improves the quality and effectiveness of grass-roots trade unions. Thus, trade unions at all levels are required to step up grasping and executing Resolution No. 10b/NQ-TLĐ issued on 12 December 2021 by the Standing Committee of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour on continuing the renewal and improvement of the training quality of trade union cadres in the current situation. Coordination is required to survey, construct, and perfect the model of trade unions in accordance with the law and the structure of the Army. At the same time, it is crucial to execute the development of trade union members and expand the participation of various groups in trade unions, especially in academies, schools, research institutes, hospitals, etc. The contingent of trade union cadres must be regularly consolidated with sufficient quantity, qualifications, qualities, credibility, enthusiasm, and responsibility for trade union activities; all must foster unity and competition to overcome all difficulties and challenges and accomplish all assigned tasks.

Fifth, regularly take care of and protect the legitimate rights and interests of trade union members and labourers. This is the main function and measure to assess the effectiveness of trade union activities as well as magnetise and gather a large workforce. Therefore, all levels must organise meetings for trade union cadres, members, and labourers to bring into play their democratic rights in building agencies, units, and enterprises. Importance must be attached to improving the quality of democratic dialogues between trade unions, labourers, and employers to thoroughly handle issues regarding the rights and duties of the members and labourers. Emphasis must be placed on innovating and improving the quality and effectiveness of the People's Inspection Board, the Dialogue Group; and enhancing the role of social supervision, criticism, and participation in management by the trade union. At the same time, attention must be paid to building progressive, harmonious, and stable labour relations within enterprises in accordance with Directive No. 37-CT/TW issued on 03 September 2019 by the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee (12^th tenure). Trade unions at all levels must actively participate in building regimes and policies and addressing legitimate requests of trade union members and labourers; strengthen coordination to inspect and supervise the implementation of labour regimes, policies, and laws, especially social insurance, health insurance, unemployment insurance, etc. The role of trade unions at all levels must be promoted in organising activities such as “Tet reunion” and “Worker's Month”; the housing programme entitled “Trade Union Home and Comradeship”; establishing the fund of the national defence trade union and implementing welfare programmes for trade union members; visiting and promptly supporting the members and labourers affected by natural disasters and epidemics, with difficult circumstances and low income in remote areas, border areas, islands, etc. Through these activities, trade unions can bring into full play their roles and functions in all activities and truly act as the nucleus to mobilise, gather, and protect the rights and duties of trade union members and labourers, which contributes to building all-strong agencies, units, and enterprises and accomplishing all assigned task to deserve the praise of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence: “Loyal, brave – intelligent, creative – dedicated, affectionate and worthy of Uncle Ho's Soldiers title in the new era”.

Senior Colonel, MA. NGUYEN DINH DUC, Member of the Presidium of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, Head of the Defence Trade Union Committee