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On the occasion of the 140th anniversary of International Workers’ Day, Nguyen Anh Tuan, President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, sent a letter to union officials and workers, calling for higher education levels and greater innovation to support the country’s growth targets.
In the letter, he extended wishes to union members, domestic workers, Vietnamese working abroad, and foreigners working in Vietnam, in the spirit of Workers’ Month and May Day. He recalled the historical milestone 140 years ago, when the Chicago workers’ movement demanding an eight-hour workday helped lay the foundation for International Workers’ Day. He noted that solidarity and struggles for workers’ rights spread worldwide and became a symbol of the global workers’ movement.
The union president said the spirit of International Workers’ Day was introduced early in Vietnam by President Ho Chi Minh, linking it to patriotism and serving as a key driver for the development of the workers’ movement. Over nearly a century, he said, Vietnam’s working class has grown and contributed to every project, product, and economic milestone.
Alongside workers’ contributions, the union has gradually affirmed its representative role and provided support through programs including “Tet sum vay,” “Workers’ Month,” “Union House,” and “Member welfare.” The president said these activities aim to provide practical assistance and improve members’ living standards.
In the new context, Nguyen Anh Tuan said Vietnam is entering a development phase with many major goals identified at the 14th Party Congress. He added that these directions will be implemented through the union’s action program for the 2026–2031 term.
He urged each worker—whether working in Vietnam or abroad—to proactively upgrade professional qualifications, skills, discipline, and industrial work ethic. He also called for pushing innovation, technical improvements, and productivity gains to contribute to double-digit growth and help build a sustainable development economy.
The letter emphasized the spirit of solidarity, responsibility, and workers’ aspiration in the new period, describing it as the foundation to continue the tradition of the workers’ movement and contribute to the country’s overall development.
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