Speech by General Secretary Do Muoi at the VII Congress of the Vietnam Trade Union

On behalf of the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, I warmly welcome the 7th Congress of the Vietnam Trade Union, warmly welcome the delegates, representing the will, aspirations and wisdom of the Vietnamese working class, of all working classes and of all trade union officials and members throughout the country.

On this occasion, through comrades, I would like to send my cordial greetings from the Party Central Committee to all workers, to intellectual and manual laborers, who are enthusiastically working in the fields of production, business, construction, services, in research and work, in maintaining order and security, making an important contribution to stabilizing and innovating the country.

This Trade Union Congress takes place in a situation where the country has many major changes. We have overcome the economic recession, with many aspects of growth and starting to have internal accumulation. Although the lives of the majority of citizens are still low, they have improved. There has been progress in the fields of education, health, science, technology, culture, and arts. National defense and security have been strengthened. Democratic rights have been promoted. The implementation of the policy of encouraging legal enrichment in parallel with hunger eradication and poverty reduction, gratitude to those who have contributed to the Fatherland, helping the disabled, lonely, and supporting poor students... in recent years are encouraging new factors. Overcoming challenges and accumulated difficulties, our country has not only maintained political stability but also created new development, although hostile forces have not given up their plots to sabotage our peaceful construction of the country.

Achieving the above achievements is due to our people continuing to promote the spirit of patriotism, steadfast revolutionary will and tradition of great unity, enthusiastically responding and enthusiastically implementing the renovation policy that is in accordance with the law, in accordance with the people's hearts, in line with the trend of the times, outlined from the 6th Party Congress and supplemented and developed at the 7th Party Congress. In which, the working class, farmers and intellectuals play a decisive role.

Right from its birth more than half a century ago, with a still thin force, our country's working class, its vanguard being the Communist Party of Vietnam, has played a revolutionary leading role, always taking the lead and mobilizing the entire people to carry out a long-term, sacrificial, and arduous struggle for independence and freedom. Today, with a stronger development force, the working class is continuing to promote that tradition, affirming its historical mission, role and responsibility in the new period, determined to lead the entire people to achieve increasing victories in the cause of renovation and development of the country, the Vietnam Trade Union, through revolutionary periods, has always been a socio-political organization led by our Party, united, gathering, and mobilizing the working class and all Vietnamese workers to fight for the goal of independence, freedom, happiness, making worthy contributions to the victory of the nation.

On behalf of the Party Central Committee, I warmly commend the working class and all classes, all working classes, and commend our country's Trade Union for its great contributions to that common cause.

Developing a multi-component commodity economy, operating according to market mechanisms, with state management in a socialist direction is the right path to liberate production, directing all social resources towards development. That process leads to changes in social structure, in the working class, associated with a major shift in economic structure.

Along with key industries that are inherent such as mechanics, energy, transportation... new industries have emerged such as oil and gas, electronics, informatics, biotechnology, tourism... Besides the team of state-owned workers, workers in the non-state sector have increased rapidly and very diversely, from workers in private enterprises, workers in small-scale and handicraft cooperatives... The economic structure of agriculture and rural areas is changing. A part of young farmers will become agricultural workers and industrial workers in rural areas. Our country's working class is and will increase in quantity, improve in quality, gradually becoming a modern working class.

Currently, there are over five million workers and laborers working in state-owned industries. In which, the team of state-owned workers is gradually adapting to the market mechanism, being the force directly producing the most important goods and services of the country. The productivity, quality, and efficiency of some industries have increased; the lives of workers and laborers at some facilities have been improved. As people who grasp key material and technical production facilities, typical of the advanced production force of society, the working class inevitably plays a pioneering role in the development process of history, in the renovation, construction and defense of the Fatherland.

The working class clearly understands that the centralized bureaucratic management mechanism and subsidies have the basic disadvantages of hindering production, and it is necessary to resolutely switch to a new mechanism, even though it is known that besides the advantages being fundamental, it will have to solve many difficult and complex issues of the country and itself. Accepting that, our working class continues to promote tradition, steadfastly and firmly follow the path that Uncle Ho, the Party and our people have chosen, endure hardships, overcome difficulties, and be determined to carry out the renovation process with compatriots across the country.

The working class and scientific intellectuals in our country have the ability to quickly access modern technology. On the one hand, promote initiatives and innovations to take advantage of existing capacity and technology structure; on the other hand, know how to invest in equipment innovation, technology innovation, and achieve many achievements in research and application of science and technology, especially supporting farmers in receiving technology and agricultural science and technology services.

Besides the above positive aspects, workers in some industries and some establishments are facing difficult and complex problems arising in the renovation process. Through the rearrangement of state-owned enterprises, over 600,000 workers have to leave the production and working lines, of which only a part has found new jobs. In state-owned enterprises, there are also about 600,000 people who regularly lack jobs. A large number of workers have not been trained in vocational skills, or their professional qualifications are still far below the requirements of industrialization and technology transfer. Working style has not adapted to the urgent pace of industrial activities according to market mechanisms. Some are still lazy, have poor organizational and disciplinary awareness, and are not willing to study hard to improve their knowledge and skills. Labor conditions at many production facilities have not improved. Workers' health, especially female workers, has not been properly cared for. Occupational diseases are developing, and labor accidents are still a worrying issue. Life has improved in some aspects, but in general, many people are still in difficulty, material and cultural activities are still lacking; the income of a large number of workers is still at an average low and unstable level. These are weaknesses that must be overcome and shortcomings that need to be actively resolved.

The 8th Conference of the Party Central Committee (VI term) determined: "The driving force to promote the mass movement is to meet the practical interests of the people and harmoniously combine interests, unify rights with civic obligations". In which, the essential interest, and at the same time the direct driving force for workers, is employment and income.

The consistent implementation of the policy of developing a multi-sector economy with state-owned enterprises as the main force; diversification of ownership, diversification of business organization forms, encouraging all citizens and foreigners to invest in production and business; along with the State's efforts to invest in infrastructure construction, develop key industries, and take care of education and healthcare... have been and are creating conditions to gradually solve jobs in a fundamental way. At the same time, the Party and State have also issued specific policies to address urgent issues for workers who have lost their jobs and are lacking jobs, demobilized soldiers, students who graduate, and young people who are just growing up... One of the goals of the policy is to create a network to "socialize" the care and job creation for workers. However, it must be admitted that the implementation results are still low, and the unemployment rate is still high. We still have to strive a lot in the coming time to overcome that situation. Job creation policies need to be supplemented, completed and implemented soon.

The Party and State have also had a policy of monetarizing wages and gradually rearranging order, overcoming the average situation in paying workers' wages. At the same time, they are promoting the reform of social insurance policies, housing policies and other policies. The State, business managers and society need to take care of the cultural life of workers and laborers, and encourage the spiritual motivation of brothers and sisters.

In our society, everyone must live by their own labor, and cannot rely on others. Enjoyment must be commensurate with the results of work. Income must be based on the efficiency of production, reflecting the principle of labor-based distribution. According to that spirit, workers must not only receive wages according to their inherent labor value, but also receive a portion of the surplus labor value of the enterprise they contributed to making, after fulfilling their obligations to the State and accumulating and reinvesting to expand production. This is exactly what reflects the superior nature of the new regime. Right from March 1947, President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree No. 29-5L, which stipulates: "To encourage workers in the industrial and commercial sectors, it is possible to stipulate that workers participate in the annual profit sharing. A decree will determine after the percentage of profit that workers receive depending on each enterprise...". We need to apply Uncle Ho's thought in the current situation. At the same time, study regulations that workers can be given incentives to buy a percentage of shares of the enterprise where they work. Representatives of workers participate in the board of directors. This approach creates conditions for workers to truly become owners, linking the interests and powers of each member with the obligations and responsibilities for the business's operating results; harmoniously combining the common interests of the country and the collective with the interests of each person. First of all, it is necessary to study and implement in the state-owned sector at an appropriate time and at an appropriate level for each enterprise, doing it step by step firmly. Soon organize a summary of the places that have been tried to draw experience to gradually expand. Moving towards encouraging and guiding other economic sectors to do the same, for the common interests of the enterprise, the owner and employees. This approach can also be applied when studying the issue of party members doing business.

To create favorable conditions and implement the above policies, state-owned enterprises must strive to pay off the situation of "fake profits, real losses", strive to make real profits; improve the mechanism to lock the final product to each collective and each employee, and pay compensation commensurate with productivity, quality and efficiency.

To create jobs and improve the income of workers and laborers in the market mechanism, the Party and the State need to have plans and policies for vocational training and retraining for workers. Workers themselves must uphold traditions, strive to study, improve knowledge and skills, accumulate experience, promote creativity, practice industrial style, respect discipline and regulations, cultivate political bravery, expertise, and professional skills; gradually intellectualize the working class. This is an urgent issue to build a modern working class, meeting the requirements of industrialization and modernization of the country today and especially in the new decades.

I agree with the direction and goals set out at this Congress: "Building a Vietnamese working class that is developed in quantity, politically steadfast, with high education and skills, dynamic, creative, worthy of being a revolutionary leadership class". I want to emphasize a few more points below:

The target audience for gathering and mobilizing of the Vietnam Trade Union is all salaried workers nationwide. It is necessary to educate brothers and sisters to thoroughly grasp and actively implement the directions, tasks, policies and laws of the Party and the State; practice thrift, protect public property, improve productivity, quality, and efficiency, strive to achieve and exceed planned targets; promote vigilance, and successfully complete the two strategic tasks of building and protecting the Fatherland. Encourage officials and union members to actively participate in building a clean and strong Party; build a people's government capable of managing the country with high efficiency; eliminate corruption, bribery, and bullying the people.

It is necessary to promote theoretical and practical research on the issues being raised in the work of mobilizing workers in the renovation period, preparing staff to promote the process of industrialization and modernization of our country. From there, propose appropriate educational and mobilization content, bringing practical efficiency. Promote the establishment of Trade Union organizations in private enterprises, joint-stock companies, and joint ventures at home and abroad.

It is necessary to focus efforts on building a strong working class, first of all the contingent of workers and laborers in production and business sectors and in the state management sector. Strengthen the solidarity and unity of the working class, linking the interests of the working class with national interests; act as the nucleus in the worker - farmer - intellectual alliance bloc, the main force ensuring the success of the country's industrialization and modernization process.

Along with the working class, there are also more than two million workers in the fields of science, technology, education, health, culture, society, state employees, who are members of trade unions under the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour. A large number are intellectuals, people who play a very important role in the cause of revitalizing the country in today's era; in which, most of them come from the working class, are a part of the working class. The Party and State must take care of the lives of brothers and sisters, create conditions for everyone to promote their creativity. At the same time, educate brothers and sisters to strengthen responsibility, improve professional qualifications, cultivate qualities, work enthusiastically with high responsibility and efficiency, and contribute their best to the cause of national renovation. The Trade Union is responsible for fostering and introducing outstanding workers, intellectuals and laborers to be admitted to the Party and supplement cadre sources for the Party and State.

As a member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Trade Union is responsible for mobilizing workers and laborers to build a great national unity bloc, united with all classes and other classes in associations, with Vietnamese compatriots living abroad, promoting the overall strength of the whole country to build and protect the Fatherland in the new situation.

In a multi-sectoral market economy, labor disputes arising are inevitable. The correct method to resolve disputes is through negotiation between workers, employers and the State. As representatives of workers in signing labor contracts, the Trade Union needs to promptly detect conflicts leading to disputes; proactively organize negotiations, ensuring cooperation between employers and workers on the principle of mutual benefit; both the State and the private sector benefit; encourage investors to develop production and business, creating many jobs.

The State must promulgate laws and policies to both protect the legitimate rights of employers and protect the legitimate rights of workers and laborers, ensuring social justice. We propose that the National Assembly soon promulgate the Labor Code, as a legal basis for resolving disputes in a legal, reasonable, and justified manner.

An urgent aspiration of the working class and the working people of our country is to resolutely and effectively fight against corruption, smuggling and other social evils. Corrupt people use all tricks, take advantage of all loopholes to exploit the assets of the State and the people, in fact, they are depriving the working class and the working people. Trade unions must educate, mobilize, and organize workers, laborers and union members, especially officials and union institutes in state management agencies, production and business establishments, to actively participate in the uncompromising struggle to eliminate corruption and other social evils. The Government will have regulations for Trade Unions to directly and effectively participate in the fight against corruption and negativity and needs to have corresponding organizations to carry out this urgent task. Along with strictly handling corruption cases, it is necessary to urgently study and continue to innovate the management mechanism, considering it as a basic measure to stop corruption today.

Implementing the open foreign policy of our Party and State, the Trade Union needs to promote relations with the World Trade Union organization and Trade Unions of other countries, exchange experiences, strengthen solidarity and friendship, contributing to the cause of consolidating peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and in the world.

To meet the requirements of trade union activities in the new conditions, it is necessary to organize training and retraining of trade union officials, supplement and build a suitable class of trade union officials at all levels. Trade unions must overcome the situation of "stateization and administrativeization" in their organization and methods of operation. Trade union officials are not public employees, but must first of all be social workers, steadfast in the correct position of the working class, knowledgeable about the market economy, law, social sciences, humanities, and style of behavior, capable of accessing the professional fields of workers and laborers, and accessing modern science and technology. Trade union officials must be selected from the revolutionary movement of the working class and laborers, trusted by the masses, capable of representing the rights and obligations of workers and laborers, and sufficiently brave to handle difficult situations. Besides the class of trade union officials who are trained and grown up from reality, it is necessary to train a class of experts in trade union activities, taking trade union activities as a profession. The Party and State need to have mechanisms and policies to create favorable conditions for the activities of trade union officials.

The country is facing a new situation, with both great opportunities and great challenges for us. To take advantage of opportunities, stand firm in the face of challenges, overcome obstacles and difficulties, and bring our nation forward quickly, the entire Party, people, and army must unite and strive to consolidate and expand the great national unity bloc, uphold the spirit of independence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, promote national traditions and identity, determined to follow in the footsteps of our forefathers to make a great cause, strive to realize a prosperous people, a strong country, a fair and civilized society, and gradually build socialism successfully.

The Party Central Committee believes that the Vietnamese working class will become increasingly mature and strong, excellently assuming the pioneering role in that important cause. We hope comrades will strive to make the Trade Union organization truly represent the strength, talent, and intelligence of tens of millions of workers and laborers in our country in the new period; become a flesh-and-blood organization with workers and laborers; have many rich activities, meeting the needs and practical benefits of brothers and sisters; be a solid support and a socialist school of the working class and laborers.

Wishing you comrades good health and happiness.

Wishing the Congress a great success.

Excerpt from the book "Vietnamese Trade Union from the 1st to the 10th Congress" by Lao Dong Publishing House.