According to the ministry, holding dialogues and exercising grassroots democracy at workplaces were regulated for the first time in the Labour Code 2012 and the Government’s decrees dated June 19, 2013 and November 7, 2018.

The decrees detailed principles of grassroots democracy implementation at work; contents which must be publicised by the employers; contents which employees may participate in giving their opinions, making decisions, checking and supervising.

The decrees also mentioned responsibilities for holding periodical discussions at workplaces or discussions at the request of a party; quantity, members, standards of members participating in periodical discussions at workplaces and the process of holding regular discussions.

In practice, the regulations have demonstrated shortcomings. While the current Labour Code allows enterprises to establish more than one representing organisation of labourers, the old regulations on holding dialogues and exercising grassroots democracy at workplaces are based on the one-trade-union model.

The decrees did not detail quantity and representatives of parties taking part in dialogues, especially at enterprises with a large number of employees, more than one representing organisation of labourers or employees who are not members of any representing organisation.

According to the draft decree the ministry is working on, the employers must publicise information on production and business to employees as well as regulations on employees’ rights and responsibilities, and collective labour agreements that employees join.

The employers must publicise the establishment and use of reward and welfare funds and other funds contributed to by labourers; information on emulation, rewarding, discipline and addressing labourers’ complaints over their legitimate rights and benefits.

The deduction and remittance of the trade union’s funding, payment of social security, medical insurance and unemployment insurance must also be reported to the employees.

The draft decree has made amendments in relevance with the Labour Code 2020 in which employees are allowed to establish more than one representing organisations. Labourers also have the right not to participate in any organisation.

Exercising grassroots democracy at workplaces means labourers have the rights to know, give opinions, make decisions, check and supervise contents./.