Tiếng Việt
Dai Dung Joint Stock Company for Mechanical Construction and Commerce (An Ha Industrial Zone, Ho Chi Minh City) held a distinguished dialogue session themed “Representation, Care, and Protection of Female Workers’ Rights through Workplace Dialogue”. This event underscores the company’s commitment to fostering an equitable and supportive environment for its workforce.
Representatives of the Board of Directors and the Dai Dung Company Trade Union signing the dialogue minutes. Photo: Duc Long
Enterprise Approves All Five Worker Proposals
Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Chairman of the Dai Dung Company Trade Union, shared that, in preparation for the dialogue, the union diligently gathered feedback from female workers. The input coalesced into five key proposals:
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A monthly hygiene allowance of 100,000 VND per female worker.
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Beyond the five legally mandated prenatal check-up leaves, pregnant workers to receive two additional days, each one day long, with full pay for prenatal visits.
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Pregnant workers to be granted a 10-minute early lunch break compared to the standard schedule.
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Female workers with children under 12 months to receive two additional Saturdays off per month.
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Provision of a standardized milk expression and storage room, with female workers nursing children under 12 months granted an extra 60 minutes daily for milk expression, in addition to legally mandated breaks.
Through an open and responsible dialogue, the company’s Board of Directors approved all five proposals. Notably, for the hygiene allowance, the company agreed to provide 50,000 VND per worker per month (compared to the proposed 100,000 VND).
Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, a female worker at Dai Dung, expressed her delight:
“The dialogue was conducted in a remarkably open and sincere atmosphere, yielding excellent outcomes. All worker proposals were acknowledged and approved by the company’s leadership, effective from June 1, 2025. Previously, significant concerns were communicated through the union, but this dialogue allowed us to express our aspirations directly and comprehensively to the management. The female workers are truly inspired and look forward to more such dialogues in the future.”
“The dialogue was conducted in a remarkably open and sincere atmosphere, yielding excellent outcomes. All worker proposals were acknowledged and approved by the company’s leadership, effective from June 1, 2025. Previously, significant concerns were communicated through the union, but this dialogue allowed us to express our aspirations directly and comprehensively to the management. The female workers are truly inspired and look forward to more such dialogues in the future.”
Mr. Hung added that the company currently employs 379 female workers, and the implementation of these dialogue outcomes is estimated to cost the company approximately 1.5 billion VND annually.
“Throughout the dialogue process, we received enthusiastic support from various trade union levels, including legal documents, guidance from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, direct meetings to review preparations, and advice on ensuring the dialogue’s effectiveness,” Mr. Hung noted.
Dedicated Trade Union Cadres and a Supportive Enterprise
Ms. Tran Thu Phuong, Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Women’s Affairs Department of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, highlighted that the 2019 Labor Code includes a dedicated chapter on female workers. However, inspections reveal that some enterprises have yet to fully comply with legal provisions for female workers, let alone exceed them.
The dialogue demonstrated the dedication and courage of grassroots trade union cadres, who effectively captured workers’ concerns. Representing the workers, these cadres presented compelling, well-reasoned arguments during the dialogue, successfully persuading the employer. The enterprise, in turn, exhibited goodwill by attentively listening to the workers and the union. As a result, all legally mandated policies were promptly implemented, and proposals exceeding legal requirements were largely approved and adopted.
“Based on the highly practical outcomes of these dialogues, we will report to the Presidium of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to issue nationwide guidelines, further enhancing benefits for union members and workers, particularly female workers,” Ms. Phuong affirmed.