Vice State President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân speaks at the meeting on Monday with 101 outstanding grassroots trade union chairpersons recognised for achievements in workplace dialogue and collective bargaining during 2023-2025. —VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Vice State President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân on Monday met with 101 outstanding grassroots trade union chairpersons recognised for achievements in workplace dialogue and collective bargaining during 2023-2025, praising their role in protecting workers’ rights and helping foster harmonious labour relations.

The meeting was held on the occasion of on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 – 2026) and International Workers’ Day (May 1).

The Vice President highlighted contributions made by the honourees, saying their efforts had secured benefits worth more than VNĐ6 trillion (US$227.6 million) annually for some 382,000 labourers, while improving workers’ welfare and strengthening stable and progressive labour relations in enterprises.

She noted that over its 97-year history, the Việt Nam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) has remained closely linked with the country’s revolutionary periods and has become an indispensable organisation for workers, particularly in businesses.

Against a rapidly changing global and domestic environment, Xuân said trade unions must adapt to new development trends and raise their capacity to meet higher expectations in representing labourers, especially as Việt Nam advances industrial transformation and deeper global integration.

She called on trade unions at all levels to modernise operating methods, draw on international experience, and strengthen their role as a constructive partner for employers, particularly in the private and foreign-invested sectors.

The official expressed hope that trade unions at all levels will continue studying the Politburo’s key resolutions, especially those related to enterprises, and, drawing from practical experience, propose to the Party and State improvements to guidelines, policies and laws, thereby contributing to business development while creating conditions for trade unions to grow stronger.

Special emphasis should be placed on improving dialogue and bargaining skills among grassroots union leaders, whom she described as playing a crucial role in balancing the interests of workers, enterprises and society.

She also urged the VGCL to expand training and support programmes for union officials, helping them better perform their representative and advocacy functions in enterprises.

Addressing the event, VGCL Vice President Ngô Duy Hiếu said the confederation has in recent years prioritised dialogue and collective bargaining to improve benefits for union members and labourers, while promoting workplace democracy and broader coverage of collective labour agreements.

He said the confederation will continue improving both the quality and scope of collective agreements, including sectoral and multi-enterprise arrangements, while ensuring workplace dialogue delivers practical outcomes and helps address disputes early. — VNA/VNS