Workers are changing, and trade union officials must also innovate.

The course is held over 3 months, combining in-person and online learning with field trips to the facilities. The training content aims to supplement the necessary knowledge, skills, and professional expertise so that grassroots trade union officials can better meet the demands of their work in the new situation.

Equipping grassroots trade union officials with more 'practical' skills.

According to Mr. Phung Thai Quang, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Federation of Labor and Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Union's Center for Consulting and Supporting Workers, the labor market is changing rapidly with the increasing emergence of entry-level workers, informal workers, flexible jobs, and a highly skilled workforce.

These changes necessitate that trade unions not only focus on improving the lives of their members but also enhance their capacity to represent and protect the legitimate rights and interests of their members and workers.

"Going to the trade union means meeting with trade union officials. Developing positive feelings towards the trade union organization also happens through trade union officials," Mr. Quang said, emphasizing that officials are a key factor in improving the effectiveness of trade union activities.

Currently, trade unions at all levels in Ho Chi Minh City manage more than 23,000 grassroots trade unions with over 2.4 million members, accounting for approximately one-quarter of the total number of trade union members nationwide. This large scale, along with changes in organizational models and labor relations, requires trade union officials to continuously update their knowledge and improve their skills.

In reality, many trade union officials lack practical experience and skills. Therefore, this program focuses on topics closely related to daily work, such as labor and trade union law, propaganda and mobilization of union members, women's affairs, membership development, management and leadership skills, planning, reporting, and digital transformation …

Learn how to engage in dialogue and negotiation to protect workers.

A notable aspect of the course is that participants are equipped with skills in dialogue, collective bargaining, signing and monitoring collective labor agreements; conflict management and negotiation in trade union activities; financial and accounting operations; and worker security in the new context.

According to Mr. Phung Thai Quang, the Ho Chi Minh City Trade Union aims to provide systematic training to approximately 1,000 officials within two years. This is considered the initial step in a plan to improve the quality of trade union officials, given that the city has over 200,000 officials from the deputy union leader level upwards.

He argued that if training and professional development are not carried out promptly and adequately, it will directly affect the effectiveness of trade union activities. The city will coordinate with the Trade Union University and other educational and training institutions to organize more in-depth programs tailored to each job position.

Associate Professor Dr. Le Manh Hung - Rector of the Vietnam Trade Union University - emphasized that the goal of the trade union organization is to contribute to building harmonious, stable, and progressive labor relations; while also caring for and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of workers.

According to Mr. Hung, trade union officials need to have a firm grasp of negotiation skills and the ability to balance the interests of both workers and employers. Such training courses provide an opportunity for grassroots officials to strengthen their knowledge and skills, and become more confident in their role as representatives of workers.