Summary of the formation and development of the working class and the Vietnam Trade Union organization (part 4)

1. Period 1954 – 1960

After the Dien Bien Phu victory and the Geneva Accords were signed, the completely liberated North quickly started to restore the economy.

In 1955, in the North, the worker and public employee force in the material production sector was about 76,000 people. The number of workers and public employees in state-owned industries was 21,200 people, of which the number of direct production workers was 17,000 people, and more than 16,000 workers were hired in capitalist and private enterprises in many industries. The handicraft force was about 298,000 people. The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor had 1,100 grassroots trade unions and 140,000 trade union members.

The conference of trade union officials throughout the North, in 1956, determined that trade unions must gradually shift their entire activities to organizing and mobilizing workers to participate in restoring production, stabilizing and improving life, and at the same time supporting the struggle of southern workers against the repression and terrorism of the US - Diem.

The active activities of the workers' and trade union movements have contributed to restoring the economy in the North in general and the industry in the North in particular. By the end of 1957, although the proportion of industry was still low, it had accounted for 17.28% of national income.

To have a legal basis for trade union activities, on November 5, 1957, the President issued Decree No. 108-SL/L10 promulgating the Trade Union Code. This event marked a major turning point in consolidating the organization and enhancing the position of the Vietnam Trade Union.

By 1960, the number of trade union members was 308,386 people, with 2,501 grassroots trade unions distributed in most enterprises, construction sites, farms, and agencies. The number of full-time trade union officials from grassroots to central level was 2,653 people. The team of trade union officials not only developed in quantity but also increased rapidly in quality.

In the period 1954-1960, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor strengthened foreign affairs activities to exchange experiences in many fields with trade union organizations of countries around the world, especially trade union organizations of socialist countries. Through international activities, the friendly, understanding, and mutual assistance relationship between the Vietnamese working class and the world working class was strengthened, creating conditions for our people to carry out socialist revolutions in the North and struggle to unify the country.

In the South, workers and laborers continued the struggle against the US and Ngo Dinh Diem's henchmen in extremely difficult conditions. US goods and some capitalist countries flooded into the South, causing the South's industries and handicrafts to stagnate. In 1958, more than 80% of textile workers were laid off. In 1959, the number of unemployed people in the South reached 1.5 million people.

Meanwhile, the US - Diem vigorously terrorized "anti-communist", "trade union purification", implemented the trick of "classical harmony", "labor benefits", "trade unions do not do politics", in order to continue to divide the workers' labor movement, limiting the influence of the revolution among workers.

Faced with the extremely difficult situation of the Southern revolution, the Party directed grassroots units in the inner city and plantations to find every way to stick to the land, stick to the people, develop forces, and organize for workers to fight. From 1954 to the end of 1960, the entire South had over 2,300 struggles of workers, typically the street demonstration of nearly 500,000 workers in Saigon on May 1, 1958, the demonstration of workers' strength; on May 1, 1959, of more than 20,000 workers and people in major cities in the South such as Hue, Da Nang, Can Tho, Saigon - Cho Lon...

The CNLĐ movement in the South in the years 1954-1960 took place strongly and widely with many rich and diverse forms of struggle, having a great effect on the general struggle movement of all classes of people in the South to overthrow the US imperialists and their henchmen. The movement has linked workers of many industries, many localities, and many classes of working people to participate. Through this, the team of CNLĐ in the South was tempered and matured.

2. Period 1960 - 1975

This was a period when the working class in the North competed in labor, production and combat, actively supporting the South, contributing to the implementation of two flags, the Socialist Revolution in the North and the national revolution, people's democracy in the South, proposed by the 3rd National Congress of the Party.

From February 23-27, 1961, the 2nd Vietnam Trade Union Congress was held in Hanoi. The Congress decided to rename the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour. Comrade Hoang Quoc Viet, Member of the Party Central Committee, was re-elected as Chairman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour delegation; Comrade Tran Danh Tuyen was re-elected as Secretary General.

To successfully implement socio-economic goals, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour has encouraged workers and employees to emulate "striving to become socialist labor teams", responding to the movement "3 build, 3 resist", "Each person works for two". These movements have been widely participated by workers and laborers in factories and enterprises. Typical examples are: Duyen Hai Mechanical Factory (Hai Phong) and Thanh Cong Handicraft Cooperative (Thanh Hoa). These are units with outstanding achievements in the industrial and handicraft sectors.

Trade unions at all levels regularly organize topical talks and seminars, thereby helping union members understand their responsibilities, determined to complete the state's plan; mobilize workers to promote initiatives, technical improvements and organization, improving labor productivity. Emulation movements proposed by grassroots trade unions are timely and practical such as: "Advancing to win 3 high points" of Hanoi Mechanical Factory, "All for 91 days of safe production" of Viet Tri Power Plant... have attracted and drawn union members to enthusiastically produce and work.

Many officials and employees of the Mechanical, Commercial, and Transportation sectors... registered to volunteer to win three high scores including: productivity, quality, and thrift. The working atmosphere in construction sites, factories, and agencies is very lively. Emulation movements not only bring economic efficiency but also contribute to educating Northern workers and employees about the flesh and blood relationship between the South and the North.

From the end of 1964 to the beginning of 1965, the rhythm of labor and production in construction sites, factories, and enterprises became even more vibrant and stronger. Under the direction of Party committees at all levels, grassroots trade unions closely coordinated with youth unions, encouraging the masses to promote production, improve technical management, and rationalize production. Trade union levels constantly innovated the content and methods of operation, taking the protection and promotion of the socialist collective ownership of workers and employees as a driving force to build a strong trade union organization.

The new advances of the workers' and trade union movement in the first 5-year plan have contributed to important changes in Northern industry. Compared to 1960, gross social product in 1965 increased by 52.9%, of which industry increased by 84.6%, and basic construction increased by 72%. By the end of 1965, the first facilities for metallurgy and chemicals were built and gradually went into production. Industry developed many new industries, produced many new items, meeting 90% of the people's demand for consumer goods...

On August 5, 1964, the US began the war of destruction of the North with the air force and navy, the task of the North was to both build and directly fight, firmly protect the achievements of the revolution, and support the large frontline of the South.

The 13th Conference of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (April 1965) determined that the working class and the Trade Union organization must uphold the revolutionary pioneering will and the whole people must be determined to fight against the US and defeat the US in order to build and protect socialism in the North, actively support the revolution in the South, and move towards national reunification.

In October 1965, the delegation of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour and representatives of the Confederation of Labour for the Liberation of South Vietnam attended the 4th World Trade Union Congress held in Poland. The Congress passed a resolution calling on world trade union organizations and people around the world to support and help Vietnamese workers against US aggression.

With the spirit of "Strengthen the hammer, firm the gun", "The enemy comes and fights, the enemy leaves and produces", "Everything for the front line", workers and soldiers and people in the North have promoted the tradition of hard work and creativity, fighting with ingenuity and courage, contributing to protecting, building, and firmly consolidating the great rear and fulfilling their obligations to the great front line of the South.

During the fierce years of war, the workforce of the Transport sector, along with military transport forces and civilian laborers, ensured support for the South according to the motto "The enemy fights, we just go", "Fight the enemy and go, open the way and advance", "Goods are not short of one kilogram, troops are not short of one person", "Live clinging to the bridge, clinging to the road, die bravely and courageously".

Under the direction of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, central industry trade unions and local Trade Union Unions have proposed many measures to mobilize workers to increase labor productivity. Hanoi, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh Trade Union Unions launched workers and civil servants (CNVC) to advance into science, emulate technical innovation, and encourage self-fabrication to increase labor productivity, increase useful working hours, and save materials. Hai Phong Trade Union Unions, Viet Bac, Hoa Binh, Ha Tay, Nam Dinh, Hanoi... have organized preliminary conferences to draw lessons from the campaign to improve labor productivity. Industry trade unions such as Post Office, Railway, Architecture, and Health have had initiatives to organize joint conferences between trade unions and professionals, and develop plans to guide the masses to emulate in labor, production and work.

In the period 1965-1968, on the production front, although many new difficulties arose in the context of war across the country, workers, civil servants and trade union organizations upheld the spirit of self-reliance, self-strengthening, courageous creativity in production, and resilience in combat. This was also the time to ensure maintaining industrial and handicraft production, maintaining traffic arteries, both production and combat. Thousands of workers and civil servants volunteered to join the army, directly fighting on the battlefields.

From 1969 to 1971, officials and employees made great contributions to the cause of economic recovery and development, stabilizing production. Officials and employees of the transport sector have repaired and opened 233,000 km of roads, bridges, ferries, ports, and river wharves to transport over 111,000 tons of goods and weapons to the battlefield. The General Department of Logistics, Vietnam People's Army has increased over 10,000 officers and soldiers serving traffic routes. The sectors of Agriculture, Trade, Posts, Health, Education... all achieved important achievements in the anti-American resistance and national salvation emulation movement.

The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour proactively and promptly set out goals, contents and measures to implement the key task of promoting production, taking care of solving urgent issues of life, and being ready to fight. In April 1972, the US imperialists again attacked the North on a more fierce and brutal scale. The Trade Union mobilized workers, ensuring working hours and working days, maintaining and promoting production, sticking to targets and labor norms, maintaining labor discipline regulations and participating in production management. The General Confederation of Labour, Trade Union Union Unions and Industry Trade Unions assigned officials to grassroots levels to help grassroots trade unions shift their activities and build organizations. Tens of thousands of workers and employees volunteered to go to the front. Mining corps and steel workers' corps were born during the anti-American war and have achieved many glorious feats of arms. Many grassroots trade unions organized the movement "Songs overwhelm bomb sounds" with mass art performances organized in diverse and rich forms.

From February 11 to 14, 1974, the 3rd Congress of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour met in Hanoi. The Congress identified the direction and tasks of trade union work and the workers' movement in the new period. Comrade Ton Duc Thang was elected Honorary President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour. Comrade Hoang Quoc Viet was re-elected President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour. The Secretary General was comrade Nguyen Duc Thuan.

Implementing the Congress Resolution, workers in the North enthusiastically emulated in labor, production, and practicing thrift to restore the economy of the North, effectively supporting the South. The movement of emulation in labor, production, and practicing thrift attracted 70% of employees and 75% of production teams and teams to participate; there were 2,018 establishments, of which 1,580 production and business establishments registered to complete and exceed the assigned plan. By the end of 1973, 919 establishments had completed and exceeded the State's assigned plan.

Emulation movements serving agriculture have made progress. Many localities and sectors such as Ha Tay, Thanh Hoa, Vinh Phuc, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Energy industry, mechanics, chemicals... have had many emulation programs serving agricultural production, increasing crop and livestock productivity. Agricultural research institutes have sent technical staff to agricultural cooperatives to guide farmers on farming and animal husbandry techniques...

The achievements in economic recovery, promoting production and thrift in 1973-1975 in the North created support for the spring general offensive of 1975, liberating the South, unifying the Fatherland, creating a premise for the whole country to move towards socialism.

In the South, on April 27, 1961, the Liberation Labor Association was established, and on May 1, 1965, it was renamed the Confederation of Labor for the Liberation of South Vietnam. The Association mobilized and gathered workers to fight against the US-Nguy on various fronts, in many forms and measures. In the first 2 years of resisting the "Special War" strategy (1961-1962), Southern workers and laborers conducted over 8,900 struggles, with more than 740,000 participants. Typical was the strike to occupy factories by more than 400 workers of Xtanvac oil company on September 4, 1961. The 3-month strike paralyzed 100 oil stations. This struggle was supported by tens of thousands of workers from rubber plantations in Bien Hoa, Thu Dau Mot and over 100 trade unions in Saigon-Cho Lon. Employers had to accept workers' demands to increase wages by an additional 6%. In October 1961, more than 7,000 Dau Tieng workers went on strike demanding wages increases. The struggle attracted thousands of people in the plantations to protest against the US-N

In 1963, in the Saigon-Cho Lon area alone, there were 505 struggles, attracting over 200,000 participants. On September 21, 22, 1964, more than 200,000 Saigon workers and laborers protested and went on strike to support the struggle of textile workers, demanding an end to repression, demanding freedom and democracy. The general strike paralyzed many activities in Saigon city. The struggle in urban areas also had coordination and linkage with plantation workers, farmers in neighboring areas, and with armed forces attacking offices and military bases in cities.

The contributions of South Vietnamese workers and laborers in the 1968 Tet Offensive and Uprising brought the struggle movement to a new peak. Although there were still limitations, South Vietnamese workers and laborers overcame the fierce terrorism of the enemy; maintained and developed the struggle movement, contributing to helping the people of South Vietnam win the "local war" strategy of the US imperialists. When the US imperialists were forced to negotiate with the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and representatives of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, the Confederation of South Vietnamese Trade Unions actively called and mobilized workers and laborers around the world to participate in the movement, support the "10-point solution" of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and oppose the stubborn attitude of the US delegation at the Paris conference. After the failure of the "Vietnamization of War" strategy, under the direction of the Liberation Trade Union, the struggle movement of workers and laborers in South Vietnam took place sôi nổi, rầm rộ, demanding that the US respect and implement the Paris Peace Accords,

The general offensive and uprising of our army and people in the spring of 1975 completely liberated the South and unified the Fatherland. In that victory, there was the support and smooth coordination of the workers' forces in the southern cities. The Liberation Trade Union Union guided workers to proactively uprising, protect factories and enterprises, take over warehouse facilities, protect and maintain the operation of power plants, water plants, means of transportation and communication, contributing to stabilizing people's lives immediately after the liberation day.