Workers put all their trust in the Party

A special "P Party activity" session to raise awareness among workers

On the morning of January 20, the opening ceremony of the 14th Party Congress took place solemnly, in Khanh Hoa, many workers, union officials and members eagerly watched this important political event.

On normal days, at Khanh Hoa Salanganes Nest State-owned One Member Co., Ltd., the sound of the machinery starts very early. The shift started like every other day. Workers stand in their positions, familiar with the job, and closely follow every product detail. The working rhythm is steady, not noisy, not hasty.

But that morning there was another point. At the company's meeting room, the large screen was turned on. No production meetings, no labor safety training. On screen is the opening ceremony of the 14th National Congress of the Party.

For workers, the Party Congress is not a distant story. It is an event directly linked to their work, income and future.

In many enterprises, grassroots trade unions have coordinated with employers to arrange appropriate times and spaces for workers to watch the opening ceremony of the Congress. The atmosphere at factories and construction sites therefore becomes special.

Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Truong The Hien, an employee of Vina Nha Trang Mechanical Joint Stock Company, expressed his hope that the Congress will continue to pay attention to the lives, jobs and rights of workers, creating conditions for workers to feel secure in sticking with the enterprise for a long time.

Representing the party members who are direct workers, Mr. Ngo Quoc Binh - Head of the Youth Union shared that watching the screen and scenes of the opening ceremony moved him.

Mr. Binh conveyed, "as a worker party member, I hope that the 14th Congress will have development orientations to create conditions for businesses to innovate technology and improve production efficiency.

At the same time, there are policies to help workers improve their skills and master technology so that no worker is left behind by the wave of AI and technology".

Workers' confidence in the Congress is not a temporary emotion. It is formed from specific changes in life in recent years.

In stories on the machine side, at boarding houses or during recess, workers mention the Congress with very daily wishes: Social housing, enough to live on, stable benefits, vocational training, reducing working hours when conditions allow.

It is not a requirement beyond the capacity of the economy, but a legitimate need for those who are directly creating wealth for society. A union official shared that this Congress is expected by workers to continue to affirm the viewpoint of "taking people as the center". For workers, that means that decisions will go straight into life, not stop at policies.

"Only when workers can live on their salary, have a stable place to live, and have the conditions to take care of their families will production be sustainable," said this officer.

What is easily seen during the days of the Congress is that the working spirit of many workers has become more serious. Not because of the movement, but because I feel like I am a part of the overall process.

Mr. Tuan, a mechanical worker, said that watching the Congress made him more aware of his responsibilities. "The Party cares about big things. As for us, we have to do our job well. Making quality products, complying with labor discipline, that is also a way to contribute to the implementation of policies".

In disadvantaged localities where many workers are ethnic minorities, faith in the Congress is associated with the aspiration to escape poverty sustainably. They hope to have a stable job right in their hometown, and receive vocational training so that they do not have to leave the countryside to work far away.

In Hanoi, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thom - a worker at Hanoi Green Tree Park Company and her colleagues did the pruning and replacement of the last flower pots to complete the miniature landscape in the Uncle Ho Mausoleum area, decorating the streets to celebrate the Party Congress. Ms. Thom said: "The task this time is not only to plant trees, but also to make the trees and flowers the most beautiful and radiant on the days when the Congress takes place. It is tiring, but when I see the results of the brilliant streets, seeing people excitedly taking photos next to the flower carpets I plant, I feel very proud to have contributed a small part to the success of the Congress".

Ms. Pham Thanh Hien - an environmental sanitation worker in Hanoi also shared: "I am an manual labor worker, I do not contribute much, I just try to keep the road I am responsible for the most beautiful and clean".

The bridge of faith

In the flow towards the success of the Party Congress, the role of the Trade Union organization is mentioned more by workers. The trade union is not only a place to care for welfare, but also a bridge to bring the thoughts and aspirations of workers to the Party and the State.

A union official said that these days, many union members have proactively exchanged, commented, and expressed their wishes for labor policies and social security. Its a positive signal. Workers do not stand outside the Congress, but participate with their voices.

This is also an opportunity for union officials to share and express their thoughts and aspirations. Chairman of the grassroots trade union (CDCS) of Binh Duong University, MSc. Nguyen Ngoc Chien said: "I expect the 14th National Congress of the Party to make a breakthrough decision, close to reality, focusing on improving material life (social housing, schools for workers' children), spirit (cultural institutions), social security and better policies to ensure stable and secure working conditions for workers, promoting socio-economic development".

Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai Chi - Chairwoman of the Trade Union of New Apparel Far Eastern Vietnam Co., Ltd. shared: "Workers really need to be trained, improve their skills and digital skills to adapt to new requirements, not fall behind. I hope the role of the Trade Union organization will continue to be promoted more clearly, operating close to the grassroots, and truly being a support for union members. I believe that the 14th National Party Congress will select a team of leaders who are dedicated, capable, have decisions that are close to the people and feasible, contributing to improving the lives of workers and sustainable national development".

On the sidelines of the Congress, answering an interview with Lao Dong Newspaper, Central Party Committee member, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Party Committee Secretary, President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor Nguyen Dinh Khang made practical proposals on building a modern and strong Vietnamese working class in the coming period.

The first proposal to link the strategy of building the working class with the socio-economic development strategy has touched a long-standing reality: It is necessary to concretize the shape of workers in the new era.

Today's workers not only need labor, but also need knowledge, skills, the ability to master technology and a highly disciplined mindset. If the country's development strategy is based on science and technology and innovation, workers cannot stand outside that process.

Here, the role of the Trade Union is not only to care, but to participate in creating: from training, retraining, to forming a modern industrial style and labor culture. If this cannot be done, it will be difficult for the working class to play a pioneering role, even at risk of being "standing on the sidelines" in the country's development process.

The proposal to shift from the minimum wage to the minimum living standard is a notable step forward in policy thinking. This is not a technical story, but an inherent problem of labor relations. When workers "have jobs but are not enough to live on", all slogans of stability, attachment or dedication become fragile. In reality, many labor disputes originate from feelings of disadvantage in distributing benefits.

The President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor also mentioned studying reducing working hours. Labor productivity cannot increase forever by extending working hours and increasing labor intensity. To improve national competitiveness, it is necessary to invest in the quality of human resources, which are closely linked to the health, spiritual life and lifelong learning ability of workers.

Reducing working hours, if implemented in parallel with improving productivity, will be a step to transition from "heavy work" to "smart work". That is also a measure that shows that workers are placed at the center of development, not just the "input" of production.

With absolute confidence in the leadership of the Party and the great success of the 14th National Party Congress, the working class and the Vietnam Trade Union organization pledge to unite, promote the glorious tradition and revolutionary pioneering spirit, steadfastly move forward under the glorious flag of the Communist Party of Vietnam, determined to make continuous efforts, proactively and creatively soon bring the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress into life; together with the entire Party, the entire people and the entire army, unite to realize the aspiration to develop a prosperous and happy country - President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor emphasized.

Workers and high-quality human resources are the deciding lever for breakthrough development

At the opening session of the Congress, General Secretary To Lam presented the Report of the 13th Central Executive Committee on documents submitted to the 14th National Party Congress. Referring to the three strategic breakthroughs, the General Secretary emphasized: "The three strategic breakthroughs identified by the 13th National Congress are significant for the entire period of 2021 - 2030, but entering the 14th National Congress term, the requirement is to do it strongly, do it quickly, and do it to the destination, because these are the decisive leverage for the country to break through".

In these strategies, the workforce, especially high-quality labor resources, is an inevitable requirement. "Breakthrough in human resources, especially high-quality human resources associated with science, technology, and innovation. Basically and comprehensively innovate education and training; link training with labor market needs; enhance digital capacity; form a team of managers, experts, businessmen, good scientists, and high-tech workers, meeting the country's breakthrough development requirements" - The report pointed out.

For many years, Vietnam has been considered a country with advantages in labor abundance, young people, and diligence. However, the advantage in quantity is gradually narrowing, while the demand for labor quality is increasing. The current competition is no longer who has more workers, but who has better workers, adapts faster and is more creative.

Development practice shows that if workers only stop at simple labor, the economy will find it difficult to escape the middle-income trap. On the contrary, when workers are equipped with modern industrial skills, knowledge and thinking, they become the decisive force capable of participating deeply in the global value chain.

Therefore, placing workers at the center of the development strategy is not only a humane viewpoint, but a vital choice for the economy.

A noteworthy point is the requirement for fundamental and comprehensive innovation of education and training, linking training with the needs of the labor market, and enhancing digital capacity for workers.

In the context of digital transformation, automation, rapid development of artificial intelligence, the life cycle of skills is getting shorter. This requires not only initial training, but also retraining, regular training, considering lifelong learning as an inevitable condition for workers not to be left behind.

Here, the role of the State, enterprises and trade unions needs to be viewed as a whole. The State creates a policy framework and resources; enterprises link training with production and business; trade unions protect the right to study and improve the skills of workers. If each subject does its part well, high-quality human resources will no longer be the slogan.

The three strategic breakthroughs are in institutions and implementation; breakthrough in human resources and breakthrough in synchronous, modern infrastructure with organic relationships.

No matter how open the institution is, it needs a team of competent implementors. No matter how modern the infrastructure is, it requires qualified people to exploit, operate and create new values. Weak human resources will make institutions and infrastructure wasteful.

To make a breakthrough in socio-economic development, we cannot only rely on policies or projects, but must make real investments in people. Investing in employees is not a cost, but a long-term profitable investment.

When workers are well trained, have their rights protected, and are given development opportunities, they will become a pioneer in realizing the aspiration to build a rapid, sustainable, and prosperous Vietnam in the new era.

From the expectations of workers through the bridge of trust in the Trade Union organization and the determination in breakthrough strategies, it can be seen that the role of workers continues to be enhanced and that they themselves, from the beneficiaries of policies, are those who have a decisive contribution to future achievements, in accordance with the requirements set forth by the 14th National Congress of Delegates.

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