Speech by Comrade Nong Duc Manh, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam at the 9th Vietnam Trade Union Congress

Dear Presidium,

Dear distinguished guests and all delegates!

Today, in the atmosphere of the whole country enthusiastically striving to successfully implement the Resolution of the IXth National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, I am very pleased to attend the IXth National Congress of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour. On behalf of the Party Central Committee, I warmly welcome distinguished guests and all congress delegates, typical representatives of the workers' and trade union movement of our country. Through you comrades, I send to all workers, civil servants, and laborers nationwide my warm regards and wishes for health and happiness!

I would like to send warm greetings to international guests, representatives of the World Federation of Trade Unions, representatives of international organizations, trade unions of countries in the region and the world attending the Congress, expressing friendship and noble solidarity with the working class, with the Trade Union and the people of Vietnam. I hope that Trade Unions of countries around the world will strengthen cooperation, help, and share experiences with the Vietnam Trade Union to jointly contribute to the common struggle for peace, for civil rights, democracy for progress and equal rights between nations in the world.

Dear comrades and friends!

The IX Congress of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour takes place in the early years of the 21st century and the new millennium, while we are summarizing half of the term of implementing the Resolution of the IX Party Congress. The Congress will decide the goals and directions of action of the working class and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour organization in the 2003-2008 term, a term following two 5-year plans to implement the goal of by 2010 bringing our country out of underdevelopment, improving the material and spiritual life of the people, creating a foundation for our country to basically become an industrialized country in a modern direction that the IX Party Congress has identified.

Looking back at the nearly 20-year journey of implementing the renovation policy, we are proud that the working class and our people have overcome countless difficulties and challenges, taking our country steadily forward. The great achievements achieved in recent years have proven that the assessments, orientations, and solutions for socio-economic development set out by the IX Party Congress are correct. With outstanding efforts, we have maintained the pace of economic growth, bringing the gross domestic product to an average increase of 7%/year; industries, agriculture, services and exports have all developed; the system of infrastructure, economic structure has had positive changes; cultural, social, health and education aspects have all made new progress, contributing to increasing the efficiency of the economy, gradually improving people's lives, and gradually improving the quality of life. In the context of complex world developments, we must regularly face conspiracies and acts of sabotage, the country's national defense and security is still consolidated and strengthened, social order and safety are maintained; foreign relations are constantly expanding, regional and world economic integration has achieved many good results, and our country's prestige is increasingly enhanced in the international arena.

Promoting its great role and responsibility in the cause of renovation, in the past time, the working class and the Vietnam Trade Union organization have persistently strived, followed the Party's guidelines and policies and the common goals and tasks of the country and acted; successfully organized the implementation of the Resolution of the VIII Congress of the Vietnam Trade Union. The content and methods of operation of the Trade Union have been innovated, strongly oriented towards grassroots levels, mobilizing, gathering and caring for the legitimate interests of workers, civil servants, and laborers. Through trade union activities and the organization of revolutionary action movements and patriotic emulation, the Trade Union has contributed to building a strong working class. The movements of good labor, creative labor, helping each other eradicate hunger, reduce poverty, repay gratitude, humanitarian, charity... has unleashed potential and created conditions for workers, civil servants, and laborers to promote their right to mastery in production, business and in management of agencies and units, promoting the improvement of production, quality, and work efficiency, building democracy and social justice. The working class and trade union organizations have made important contributions to political stability, successfully implementing socio-economic development goals, economic restructuring, and fostering human resources for the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country. At the same time, the Trade Union has expanded international activities, contributing to tightening solidarity and cooperation with trade union organizations around the world.

On behalf of the Central Party Committee, I warmly welcome and commend the achievements and progress of the movement of workers, civil servants, laborers and trade union activities in the past time.

Dear comrades and friends!

The report of the Executive Committee of the 8th Vietnam General Confederation of Labor at the Congress comprehensively assessed the workers' movement and trade union activities in the 1998-2003 term. The comrades affirmed the achievements, and at the same time seriously pointed out shortcomings and weaknesses, analyzed the causes and drew lessons learned, on that basis, set out directions and tasks for the next term.

I agree and support the goal set out at this Congress: "Build a strong working class and trade union organization, care for and protect the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of workers, civil servants, and laborers, contributing to strengthening the great national unity, successfully implementing the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country".

Before the requirements of the new situation, to make the working class and the Vietnam Trade Union organization worthy of being the pioneering class, the leading force in the cause of promoting industrialization and modernization of the country, I raise a number of issues for our Congress to discuss together.

It can be said that never before has the Vietnamese working class faced such great opportunities and even such great challenges as today.

Promoting the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country, developing a socialist-oriented market economy in the context of the scientific and technological revolution in the world making a leap forward, the knowledge economy playing an increasingly prominent role in the process of developing the production force, the trend of globalization and deep international economic integration, that is the premise and condition for our workers and laborers to have the opportunity to study, work, access modern science and technology, improve professional skills and management qualifications. The Vietnamese working class has a favorable objective basis for rapid development in quantity, improved quality, structural innovation, and an environment to promote their talents and roles in the new era.

Besides, the market economy and international integration also have their downsides. Competition will be fierce. The process of economic restructuring, rearranging state-owned enterprises, and streamlining administrative and non-business sectors inevitably leads to surplus labor. Solving employment and unemployment, training and retraining the labor force, overcoming wealth and poverty differentiation, handling labor disputes, combating the intrusion of harmful cultural flows, protecting national culture, protecting the living environment and development are all pressing issues. However, no matter what the circumstances, the Vietnamese working class is still the pioneering class, with the historical mission of leading the Vietnamese revolution through its pioneering team, the Communist Party of Vietnam, the core force allied with the peasant class and the intellectual team, the foundation of the great national unity bloc, forming the overall strength that determines the direction of national economic development, building and protecting the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland. No matter where they work, in what field of activity, and in what economic sector, the Vietnamese working class is still the owner of an independent and free country, the class representing new production methods and the leading force in implementing the renovation policy, contributing to deciding the success of the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country.

The historical mission and pioneering role require the Vietnamese working class to continue to strongly promote its nature and good traditions, affirming its political stature by improving all aspects of political and ideological awareness, cultural and scientific-technological knowledge, professional and management skills... It is necessary to grasp and quickly access scientific and technical advances, bring new technologies into production, business and life, labor with high productivity, quality and efficiency, and actively fight against bureaucracy, wastefulness, corruption and illegal acts.

The strength of the working class is the strength of class internal strength, and also originates from the combined strength of the great national unity bloc. The Vietnamese working class plays a pioneering leadership role but is a part of the nation, standing in the heart of the nation. The interests of the working class, in the past and present as well as in the future, are always consistent with national interests, harmonizing in the common goal of national independence associated with socialism, a rich people, a strong country, a fair, democratic, and civilized society. Building a strong working class and trade union organization must be placed in the overall promotion of the strength of the entire nation, considering the great national unity on the basis of the union of workers - farmers - intellectuals led by the Party as the main driving force for national development.

As the largest socio-political organization of the working class, civil servants and laborers: The Vietnam Trade Union needs to clearly recognize its responsibilities, continue to innovate its organization and operations to gather forces, propagate and educate to improve capacity and qualifications in all aspects for workers and laborers, first of all to raise awareness about Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's ideology and the path to socialism in our country. Focus on fostering a large contingent of workers, especially young workers, in all types of enterprises - state-owned enterprises, non-state enterprises, enterprises with foreign investment capital - about patriotism, spirit of independence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, industrial style training, organizational discipline awareness, understanding and exemplary compliance with the law, fulfilling civic duty. Building in each worker, each collective and the entire working class the will to rise out of poverty and backwardness, determined to enrich themselves and their families, contributing to enriching the country and society, having a rich and good spiritual and cultural life.

The Party, State and socio-political organizations and especially the Trade Union organization are responsible for creating favorable conditions in terms of material and spiritual aspects, building and perfecting mechanisms and policies, creating motivation to encourage workers and laborers to overcome difficulties, self-discipline, actively participate in training programs, retraining and self-training, gradually knowledgeizing workers and forming a learning society.

Trade union activities need to promote the right to mastery of workers, civil servants, and laborers in production and business, in contributing their opinions through congresses of civil servants, conferences of cadres and civil servants, through building and signing collective labor agreements, organizing and representing workers to inspect and supervise the implementation of laws in enterprises, agencies, and units. Trade unions must perform their functions well, protect the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of workers, be proactive in resolving labor disputes and building harmonious and progressive labor relations in enterprises.

Trade union levels need to have practical solutions to further promote patriotic emulation movements, maximize resources among workers, civil servants, and laborers for the cause of building and protecting the Fatherland, promptly discover factors and advanced examples, disseminate experiences and multiply them into widespread movements. Through its activities and through mass movements, the Trade Union both actively contributes to building a strong working class, and plays a good role as a bridge between the Party and the masses, regularly helping the Party and the State collect information from real life, grasp the thoughts and aspirations of the masses to propose correct and appropriate guidelines and policies and effectively organize the implementation of those guidelines and policies.

Building a strong working class and trade union organization is the responsibility not only of the Trade Union organization alone but also of the Party and the State. Party committees and authorities at all levels need to create conditions, coordinate, and help the Trade Union operate smoothly, perform its functions and roles in accordance with the law. The Trade Union organization itself must make outstanding efforts to diversify methods and content of activities to be practical and flexible, suitable to the characteristics of each region, each industry, each type of enterprise and unit, always associated with the grassroots level, with workers, civil servants and laborers, overcoming bureaucracy, formalism and "administratization". It is necessary to further promote propaganda and education to help workers, especially workers and laborers in private enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises, understand the Trade Union organization, voluntarily join the Trade Union and participate in trade union activities.

The contingent of trade union officials must be proficient in trade union nghiệp vụ, have the ability to mobilize the masses, be enthusiastic and love their profession, and must also understand the law, have economic knowledge, be sensitive to new things, have firm bravery, dare to fight against negative phenomena and material temptations, bravely protect justice, protect the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of workers and laborers. To have such a contingent, trade union levels must focus on training, have training programs on politics, culture, nghiệp vụ and improve qualifications, and regularly supplement knowledge for trade union officials. The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor needs to proactively coordinate with the State to research and promulgate mechanisms and policies for training, fostering, using, and preferential treatment, policies to protect trade union officials, pay attention to fostering and introducing to the Party outstanding officials and union members who have grown up from the workers' movement.

Theoretical research and practical summarization of the working class and trade union activities are important tasks. The Trade Union needs to do that job well, further clearly define the role of the working class and the position, functions, and tasks of the Trade Union organization in the period of accelerating industrialization, modernization, and developing a socialist-oriented market economy, as a theoretical and practical basis for continuing to innovate the organization, content and methods of operation in accordance with the requirements of the new situation, bringing the building of a strong working class and Trade Union organization to a new height.

Regarding foreign affairs, the Trade Union needs to actively and proactively operate to further expand international cooperation relations, seek the support and assistance of friends from five continents, and strive together for the noble goal of the era: peace, independence, democracy and social progress.

Dear comrades!

I believe that, under the motto "Solidarity, wisdom, democracy, innovation", this Congress of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour will mark a strong step forward for the workers' and trade union movements of our country, making worthy contributions to the common cause: "Promoting the strength of the entire nation, continuing to innovate, promoting industrialization and modernization, building and protecting the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland, for the goal of a prosperous people and a strong country, a fair, democratic and civilized society".

Wishing the Congress a great success!

Wishing distinguished guests and all delegates good health and happiness!

Thank you very much!

Dear comrades and friends!

On the occasion of the IX Congress of the Vietnam Trade Union, the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam presented the Vietnam Trade Union with a banner bearing the words:

The working class and the Vietnam Trade Union organization are united, creative laborers, taking the lead in the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country"!

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