Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam trade unions at alllevels will reform towards a worker-centred approach with more focus oncapacity building for trade union members and officials and providing supportto scale up successful business models in the next five years, said a tradeunion leader.

The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) willwork to enhance its capacity to protect rights of labourers and their socialwelfare interests and take a more active role in formulating policies for workersand balancing the employee-employer relationship from 2018 – 2023, VGCLPresident Bui Van Cuong told Vietnam News Agency on the threshold of the 12th VGCL Congress, which will open on September 24.

Talking aboutthe VGCL’s performance over the last five years, Cuong said its biggest successwas to hold annual dialogues between the Prime Minister and workers since 2016.To date, three dialogues have been held, during which workers had theiropinions and proposals heard by the government leader, thus contributing toincreasing trust and ties between the Party, State and the working class, henoted.

The VGCL hascarried out various programmes to benefit its members. It has cooperated withnearly 1,160 groups, corporations and businesses to provide goods and servicesfor workers at softer prices.

It has alsogiven free bus rides to disadvantaged workers across the country to help themreunite with their families during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday in aprogramme named “Tet Sum Vay” (Reunited Tet). The programme, worth over 8.5trillion VND (364,600 USD), has benefited more than 8 million workers so far,according to Cuong.

From 2013 –2018, the VGCL has spent over 500 billion VND building or repairing houses formore than 20,000 impoverished employees, he added.

As many as 950 Vietnamese delegates and seven internationaldelegations will attend the 12th VGCL Congress, which is scheduled to takeplace in Hanoi from September 24-26.

The congress will look to accelerateorganisational reform and trade union activities, focus on protecting andtaking care of trade union members and labourers, as well as enhancingpopularity to build a strong working class that can contribute to building andprotecting the country.

The congress will discuss and adopt variousreports of the VGCL, including reviews of the last five years in implementingthe 11th Congress’s resolution and missions for the 2018-2023 tenure, and theamendment of the Charter of the Vietnam Trade Union, among others.

Participants will work to pass the resolution ofthe 12th Congress, with missions, solutions, and breakthroughs in the 2018-2023tenure, and elect an executive board of the 12th VGCL with 175 members.

“The VGCL accompanying the Government to improvethe national competitiveness and sustainably develop the country” forum will beheld on September 26, creating opportunities for participants to express theirwishes and affirm their determination in joining hands with the Government toboost socio-economic development. –VNA