After more than 2 years holding the role of village head, Giàng A Tú (born in 1993), Head of Mường Toong 6 village (Mường Toong commune), has submitted his resignation. Although there is no official decision from local authorities yet, his reason for resigning partly reflects a reality where the pressure of making a living is becoming a major barrier for those working at the grassroots level.

Giàng A Tú’s family has 4 children, the youngest of whom is under 2 years old. Their income is mainly based on 2 hectares of terraced fields, which heavily rely on weather and seasons, making it unstable. In the context of increasing expenses, ensuring family life has become difficult. Giàng A Tú shared: “I really want to continue being the village head because the people trust me, but the income is not enough to take care of my family. If this drags on, I’m afraid I can’t shoulder both. Therefore, I plan to work far away to find a job with a more stable income.”

From Giàng A Tú’s story, it can be seen that while grassroots work has great social significance, it has not yet guaranteed the minimum standard of living for those in charge. Village heads and cell secretaries are the ones closest to the people, directly implementing guidelines and policies, and grasping the thoughts and aspirations of the residents. However, the current allowance level for this contingent is still limited. This makes many people, especially the youth, have to weigh between continuing to contribute and securing their family lives.

Not only Giàng A Tú, according to shares from several other grassroots-level officials, young people in particular also express the desire to quit social work at the grassroots level. Talking to us, Mùa Chờ Sùng, Party Cell Secretary of Pa Tết village (Mường Toong commune), expressed his concerns. Mùa Chờ Sùng said: “We always try to mobilize the younger generation to participate in grassroots social work, but if the compensation regime is not appropriate, it is very difficult to keep them for a long time. It can be said that the young cadre force plays an important role in bringing dynamism and innovation to the locality. However, facing economic pressure, they will choose to work as laborers to have a higher income, so leaving their positions is inevitable.”

One of the major difficulties that grassroots-level officials are facing is the travel cost for work. In highland areas, fragmented terrain and difficult traffic make moving from the village to the commune center arduous and costly, especially in the context of streamlining the 2-tier local government apparatus where many villages are quite far from the commune center. Meanwhile, the fuel and travel support regime for part-time officials is almost zero. With a limited monthly allowance, having to pay for trips to meetings out of their own pockets has become a significant burden. Lý A Lầu, Head of Pú Chả village (Mường Pồn commune), shared: “Now, to go from the village to the commune for meetings, I have to travel about 20km. Going to meetings a few times a month costs a considerable amount of fuel money. The high travel costs make grassroots-level officials like me feel quite pressured.”

In reality, currently, civil servants have a travel allowance and support regime, while part-time officials in hamlets and villages have to manage on their own. This creates a disparity, making many feel insecure about long-term commitment. Meanwhile, the grassroots cadre contingent always strives to complete their tasks, playing an important role in maintaining stability and development in the locality. Therefore, paying attention to and supporting them so they can feel secure in their work is not only a practical requirement but also a factor contributing to consolidating the political system from the grassroots level.

It is expected that from July 1, the base salary will be adjusted up to VND 2.53 million/month, leading to changes in allowances for part-time officials in villages and residential groups. According to the provisions of Decree No.33/2023/ND-CP, the allowance fund is still contracted based on the number of titles, but will be calculated based on the new base salary. Specifically, each village or residential group is allocated allowances for a maximum of 3 titles including: Party cell secretary, village head (or head of the residential group), and head of the front working committee. For large-scale areas or those with specific conditions, the contracted level is higher than the rest. Cases of holding concurrent titles will also enjoy additional allowances. Considering adjusting the allowance level will help grassroots-level officials have more motivation to stick with their jobs.

The story from the grassroots shows the difficulties that the contingent of village officials are facing as life pressures increasingly rise. Without timely and appropriate support solutions, the risk of a human resource shortage will directly affect management efficiency and local stability. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to adjusting policies, improving compensation regimes and working conditions, in order to help grassroots-level officials feel secure in their work, continue their commitment, and promote their roles in the community.