With the spirit of “Proactive, creative, innovative, practical”, in recent years, officers, unionists, and workers of the entire Military have always strived to successfully implement goals and tasks set out by the 9th Military Trade Union (MTU) Congress to contribute to enhancing the overall quality and combat power of the Military. This is the important foundation for MTU to continue to comprehensively innovate and improve operational efficiency, meeting the requirements and tasks of building the Military and protecting the Fatherland in the new situation.

Over the past five years, under the leadership and direction of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, directly the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army and all-level party committees, commanders, and political offices, the guidance of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), MTU always promotes the tradition “Workmen - Uncle Ho's Soldiers”, unites and strives to overcome all difficulties, and comprehensively launches worker movements and trade union activities, successfully completing the goals and targets of the Resolution of the 12th Congress of VGCL and the Action Programme of the 9th MTU Congress. Notably, all-level trade union organisations are always built, consolidated and strengthened; there have been many innovative breakthroughs in content and operating methods, and quality has been increasingly improved. Many movements and mobilisations were focused and effectively implemented, such as the ones launched by VGCL and the Military, especially the movement “Promoting traditions, dedicating talents, deserving the title “Uncle Ho' Soldiers” in the new period”, the “Promote learning and following Ho Chi Minh's thought, ethics, and style” with specific models, creating widespread influence. In particular, trade unions at all levels throughout the Military have well performed the function of management and promoting the mastery rights of unionists; built the progressive, harmonious and stable labour relations; actively participated in social policy activities; and taken care of and protected the legitimate rights and benefits of the unionists and workers. With those outstanding achievements, in the period 2018 - 2023, MTU was continuously awarded the Emulation Flag by the General Political Department and the VGCL; the Defence Trade Union Board was honoured with the First-class Fatherland Protection Order (2019).

Trade unionist of the Department of Defence Diplomacy introduces to the Party Chief about achievements in the defence diplomacy in recent years

Currently, the entire Military is promoting the thorough understanding and implementation of resolutions, directives, and plans on the organisation of the Vietnam People's Army for the period 2021 - 2030 and the following years, ensuring a “streamlined, compact, strong”, gradually modern Military, which imposes new requirements for the activities of MTU. Besides, the economic recession, the negative side of the market economy, the sabotage of hostile forces, etc. have had a profound impact on production, ideology, emotions, life, and jobs of cadres, unionists, and workers. That situation requires MTU to continue to synchronously implement policies and solutions to innovate and improve the quality and operational efficiency, meeting requirements and tasks; which focus on the following main contents:

Firstly, promote the roles and responsibilities of party committees, political commissars, political cadres, commanders and political offices at all levels in leading and directing trade union activities. This is an important content and solution that has decisive significance in building strong MTUs, operating with quality and efficiency, successfully completing the unit's political tasks. Accordingly, party committees, political commissars, political cadres, commanders and political offices at all levels need to thoroughly grasp the directives and resolutions of the Party, the Central Military Commission, and the guidance of the General Political Department on building the working class, trade unions and mass mobilisation work, focusing on Resolution No. 02-NQ/TW, dated June 12, 2021 of the Politburo (13^th tenure) on innovating the organisation and activities of the VGCL in the new situation. On that basis, concretise the leadership resolutions of the party committees and the operation programme of trade unions that is close to the realities of agencies, units and enterprises. Promoting roles and responsibilities in leadership, direction, guidance, inspection, and creating conditions for trade unions to well perform their functions, rights and responsibilities according to the provisions of law and regulations of MTU. Timely grasp and clearly identify inadequacies, difficulties and problems in the organisation and operation of the trade union to adopt solutions to overcome and ensure the quality and effectiveness in activities of trade union.

Second, well conduct the propaganda and education to raise awareness and political courage for cadres, unionists, and workers. Recent practice shows that, besides the results achieved, trade unions in some agencies and units are not really active and proactive in this work; content and form are unconvincing and irrelevant to unionists and workers’ life. To overcome that, all-level trade unions, especially the grassroots level, need to actively and proactively innovate the content and forms of propaganda and education to raise political awareness and enlightenment of unionists and workers. Along with the core contents of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's thought, the Party's policies and guidelines, the State's policies and laws, the Military’s tasks, and the functions and tasks of trade unions at all levels, it’s necessary to focus on educating and promoting patriotic traditions, the sense of national pride and self-respect, and political awareness of workers; raise awareness, industrial style, and work discipline to adapt to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and develop the defence industry. To achieve the effectiveness, trade unions need to research and develop the coordination mechanisms for cadres and unionists to study, improve their qualifications, and raise political awareness; promote the activities of self-managed groups of workers and legal bookshelves; well organise the activities “Workers’ Month”, “Month of Actions for labour safety and hygiene”, etc. At the same time, bring spiritual and cultural activities to a large number of workers and labourers; timely and effectively grasp, orientate, correct and handle ideological issues of unionists, especially ones regarding the organisation and operations of the union. During the implementation, it’s necessary to be persistent, creative and uphold the responsibility of setting an example, the sense of voluntarily learning first-doing first of trade union cadres at all levels, attaching importance to building and replicating advanced examples. Strive for 100% of officials and unionists to have strong political courage, political awareness, and high resistance to the negativity, the sabotage and the distortion of hostile forces.

Labourers of the Dong Bac Corporation emulate in work

Third, actively innovate the content, method and improve the quality of implementing emulation movements among unionists and workers. Accordingly, MTU continues to promote the patriotic emulation movement, focusing on the movements: “Good labour, creative labour”, “MTU innovating, creating, forging strength and virtue, improving knowledge, practicing profession, developing strongly, deserving to be Uncle Ho's Soldiers”,... and the mobilisation “Solidarity with unionists and workers to overcome difficulties”. In implementation, trade unions at all levels need to closely follow reality, set out appropriate policies, measures, goals and targets; promote the responsibility of setting an example for officials and party members, especially party members who are trade union cadres; uphold the patriotic tradition, the sense of responsibility, intelligence, talent, passion for creativity; develop typical works, products, initiatives, improvements, and solutions, bring about socio-economic efficiency, contributing to the successful implementation of the political tasks of each unit and the Military. In the immediate future, the Defence Trade Union Board proactively coordinates with competent agencies to advise and propose the issuance of a Circular from the Ministry of National Defence on the “Creative Labour” Award in MTU; to build mechanisms and policies to care, treat, honour and reward groups and individuals who win high awards with many typical topics and initiatives. This aims to create a strong pervasiveness to encourage, motivate and attract unionists and workers enthusiastically competing to well complete assigned tasks.

Fourth, regularly take care of and protect the legal and legitimate rights and interests of unionists and workers. This is the main function and a measure to evaluate the performance of trade unions, creating attraction and gathering a large labour force. Therefore, all levels need to well organise conferences of cadres, civil servants, public employees, and workers to promote the democratic rights of unionists and workers in participating in building agencies, units, and businesses. Improve the quality of democratic dialogue between trade unions, workers and employers, thoroughly resolve issues related to the rights and obligations of unionists and workers. Actively innovate and improve the quality and operational efficiency of the People's Inspection Board and Dialogue Group; promote the role of supervision, social criticism, and participation in management of trade unions. At the same time, pay attention to taking care of and building progressive, harmonious and stable labour relations in enterprises according to Directive No. 37-CT/TW, dated September 3, 2019 of the Party Central Committee Secretariat (12^th tenure). Trade union organisations at all levels actively participate in developing policies and regimes, resolving petitions from unionists and workers; Strengthen coordination in inspection and supervision of the implementation of labour regimes, policies and laws, especially policies on social insurance, health insurance, unemployment insurance, labour insurance, etc. Promote the role of the union home, well organising activities “Tet reunion” and “Workers’ month”; Visit and promptly support unionists and workers who are affected by natural disasters, epidemics, and have difficult circumstances, low income, working in remote areas, borders, and islands.

Fifth, continue to build a strong trade union organisation and a contingent of cadres and unionists. Trade union organisations at all levels promote thorough understanding and implementation of Resolution No. 10b/NQ-TLD, dated December 12, 2021 of the Executive Committee of the VGCL on continuing to innovate and improve the quality of training trade union cadres in the new period. Coordinate to survey, build and perfect the trade union organisation model in accordance with the law and with the Army's payroll organisation. At the same time, well carry out the development unionists; expand the number of participants in trade unions, especially in academies, schools, research institutes, hospitals, etc. Regularly strengthen the contingent of cadres in accordance with the payroll organisation, ensuring the quantity, sufficient capacity, qualifications, quality, prestige, enthusiasm, and responsibility for trade union activities; unite, compete to overcome all difficulties and challenges, and successfully complete all assigned tasks.

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