Employment practice – unions at UD
FOREWORD
The University of Danang (UD) is strongly committed to implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This report focuses on SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth. It presents UD's policy framework, implementation measures and results in 2025 on paying a living wage, recognising trade unions and labour rights, preventing discrimination and forced labour, ensuring gender pay equity, providing appeal mechanisms, investing in employees, offering student work placements, and maintaining secure employment contracts.
Indicator 8.2.2: Employment practice - unions
The UD Trade Union represents and protects the lawful rights and interests of employees and operates under the Charter of the Vietnam Trade Union (issued on 25 December 2024). Article 1 of the Charter defines eligible members as including both Vietnamese and foreign employees:
1. Eligible members: a) Employees who are Vietnamese citizens working for wages in agencies, organisations, units, enterprises, cooperatives, unions of cooperatives, households or individuals that hire, recruit or use employees and pay wages in accordance with regulations; persons working without an employment relationship in the territory of Vietnam. b) Employees who are foreign citizens working in Vietnam under employment contracts with a term of 12 months or more.
2. Conditions for admission: a) Comply with the Constitution and laws of Vietnam; b) Endorse the Charter of the Vietnam Trade Union; c) Join the Vietnam Trade Union voluntarily; d) Not be a member of an employees' organisation at an enterprise.
Charter of the Vietnam Trade Union: https://luatvietnam.vn/lao-dong/quyet-dinh-2399-qd-tld-2024-dieu-le-cong-doan-viet-nam-khoa-xiii-397101-d1.html
UD Trade Union: https://congdoan.udn.vn/Gioithieu/Chucnang
Results in 2025: UD had 2,665 trade union members out of 2,696 employees, a rate of 98.85% (2024: 98.56%). Women accounted for 54.86% of members (1,462/2,665), showing that union recognition extends to all employees, including women.
Figure. Trade union membership rate and gender composition at UD
CONCLUSION
The University of Danang has successfully fulfilled the requirements of Sustainable Development Goal 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth. UD has established a comprehensive, coherent and publicly available system of employment policies that is regularly issued, reviewed and updated in line with the law. Through these policies, UD ensures stable incomes for its employees, a fair, equal and non-discriminatory working environment, and the right to join representative organisations. Investment in staff, linking training with professional practice, and maintaining stable, long-term employment relationships are also notable achievements.
Going forward, UD will continue to review and improve its policies and to strengthen transparency and public disclosure of information. In doing so, UD affirms its role both as a leading higher education institution and as a responsible employer, contributing actively to the sustainable socio-economic development of the region and the country.