On the afternoon of November 2, a delegation of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (VGCL), led by Nguyen Dinh Khang, member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the VGCL had a working session with Binh Duong province on the situation of trade unionists, workers, trade union activities and the project of provincial Trade Union’s cultural institutions. Nguyen Van Loi, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of provincial Party Committee, Head of provincial National Assembly Deputy Delegation; leaders of departments, sectors, mass organizations in the province and Becamex IDC.
Many policies to take care of employees
Reporting to the VGCL’s delegation, Nguyen Kim Loan, Chairwoman of provincial Labor Union said that the province now has over 1.2 million employees, 56% of whom are immigrants. Currently, provincial Labor Union is managing 3,972 trade union locals with 797,347 members out of 856,028 employees. The Covid-19 pandemic severely affected the employment and life of the majority of trade unionists and employees in the province, including 390,860 employees with temporary suspension of labor contracts and unpaid wages; 17,288 employees stopping working.
The VGCL’s delegation and provincial leaders visit Becamex Dinh Hoa social housing area
Facing with this difficulty, all-levels Party committees, authorities, Fatherland Front committees, trade unions, enterprises, and organizations and individuals have paid attention to supporting workers affected by the pandemic. Currently, the province is urgently spending support for workers under the central and provincial policies. More than 3.8 millions of employees have so far received support with a total amount of moe than VND 2.7 trillion. Provincial Trade Unions at all levels have also quickly implemented support policies of the province and the VGCL for workers affected by the pandemic; supported meals for trade unionists and employees who have worked under the "3 on-site” and "1 road, 2 places" models; provided nutritional support for medical staff on the frontline of the fight against Covid-19 pandemic.
As a result, provincial Trade Unions at all levels, as October 29, 2021, disbursed more than VND 320 billion while implementing a welfare package of the Trade Union to support trade unionists affected by Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, provincial Labor Union mobilized and directly received 593 tons of goods, equipment, rice, instant noodles, milk, vegetables and fruits, necessities of all kinds; offered support to targeted people, especially needy workers with nearly 90,000 lodging rooms for over 190,000 beneficiaries.
Regarding trade union institutions, Mrs. Loan said that up to now, provincial Trade Union has completed and put cultural institutions into use, including 28-7 kindergarten in Ben Cat, provincial Labor Culture Center in the Viet Sing residential area in Thuan An city’s An Phu ward...Some trade union institutions are being implemented. They include provincial Labor Culture Center project’s swimming pool; Ben Cat town’s Labor Culture Center; provincial Center for Trade Union Activities; Di An city’s Labor Culture Center; the trade union institution invested by the VGCL- Bau Bang district’s Labor Culture Center.
“In order to improve the material and spiritual lives of trade unionists and employees, provincial Party Committee and the VGCL should consider and continue having support policies for employees; especially set up social housing areas with rental and purchase prices suitable to employees' incomes; invest in building new childcare areas and cultural areas near industrial parks and compounds," suggested Mrs. Loan.
Building social housing areas for workers
In order to take care of and attract employees, the province has also issued many good care policies, including a policy of building social houses at low cost for employees, thereby helping them living far from their hometown live and work in peace and contentment on Binh Duong homeland. Nguyen Van Hung, CEO of Becamex IDC said that Binh Duong has implemented social housing projects since 2015 with nearly 250 hectares, a total floor area of nearly 1.5 million square meters in Bau Bang district, Thuan An city, Di An city, Thu Dau Mot city, Ben Cat town and Tan Uyen town, providing accommodations for about 181,000 people. Up to now, more than 50% of the total area has been built at employees ‘demand for housing.
Nguyen Dinh Khang, member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the VGCL said that the heavy impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has had a very negative impact on the life, employment and income of trade unionists and workers. Along with the Party, State’s social welfare policies, provincial Trade Union has had many good models and effective ways to accompany local authorities and enterprises in taking good care of the lives of trade unionists and workers affected by the pandemic. Mr. Khang suggested Binh Duong to continue a policy on creating land fund as well as calling on investors to build social housing areas with preferential prices for employees while creating favorable conditions on land fund so that the VGCL as well as provincial Trade Union implement projects pertaining to the construction of trade union cultural institutions and social housing areas to serve employees.
Mr.Loi thanked the VGCL for always paying attention to and providing practical support to Binh Duong, especially material support, helping the locality in the fight against the pandemic. He said that Binh Duong is one of localities having industrial development with a large number of immigrant workers to work and live. In the coming time, the province has about 500,000 - 700,000 employees in need of accommodation. Therefore, Binh Duong will create the best conditions in terms of land, location for the VGCL to implement projects pertaining to building cultural institutions and houses for employees...
“In order to improve the material and spiritual lives of trade unionists and employees, provincial Party Committee and the VGCL should consider and continue having support policies for employees; especially set up social housing areas with rental and purchase prices suitable to employees' incomes; invest in building new childcare areas and cultural areas near industrial parks and compounds” (Nguyen Kim Loan, Chairwoman of provincial Labor Confederation)
Reported by Do Trong-Translated by Kim Tin
