The big day August 14, 1929
The generation of workers of Lao Dong Newspaper always feels proud to work in one of the first newspapers to be born in the Vietnamese revolutionary press. August 14, 1929, became a big day for Lao Dong Newspaper.
That was the day the leader of the workers' movement Nguyen Duc Canh published the first issue of Lao Dong newspaper in a small house in Thong Phong alley at the beginning of Hang Bot street, today Ton Duc Thang street (Hanoi).
Lao Dong Newspaper was initially printed by hand, on clay. The newspaper is 22x32cm on the paper foundation of the Golden Cau Mau Trieu, with one side being rough and the other side being smooth. This is a type of paper used to wrap Lao medicine and is sold at a cheap price, each tablespoon has 100 pieces.
The First Division has published the entire guidelines, regulations and statements of the Red Bac Bac Trade Union; newspapers calling on workers and laborers of factories, mines, and plantations to participate in organizing the Trade Union, united in fighting against the capitalists - the empire. The newspaper's bamboo and lightning under the Lao Dong character is the line: "The generation of infertile people and oppressed peoples around the world unite".
In the fourth issue, published on November 1, 1929, Lao Dong Newspaper sent a message "Workers who want to be released must do it themselves", "To boatmen who want to reclaim their rights, they must join the labor festival". This has been affirmed right from the first issues of the newspaper, Lao Dong Newspaper has set the highest task, considering its mission as protecting the rights of workers.
The event in 1929 Lao Dong Newspaper published the first 4 issues is a historical event with profound traditional value. After many years of revolution and prolonged resistance, generations of Lao Dong Newspaper have not had the opportunity to exploit documents and fully evaluate the above event. It was not until 1988, after many years of collecting and reviewing, especially with the contribution of historical witnesses, that the Editorial Board of Lao Dong Newspaper came to the conclusion and received the approval of the Presidium of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (then the Secretariat of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor) to officially announce that August 14, 1929, was the traditional day of Lao Dong Newspaper.
No. 32 (3440) published on August 11, 1988 published an article on August 14, 1929, the historical day of Lao Dong Newspaper. The article reads: That day witnessed the birth of a revolutionary newspaper associated with the birth of a trade union movement center, the Bac Ky General Confederation of Labor. It creates a historical premise as an objective necessity: When there is a trade union movement center, there is also an urgent need to publish a newspaper. Up to now, Lao Dong newspaper, with its name since its first introduction to readers, has continuously been an agency of the Vietnam Trade Union with different names: Bac Truong Cong Doan (1929), Vietnam Workers' Rescue Parliament (1943), Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (1946), Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (1961). The event of August 14, 1929, began the tradition for Lao Dong newspaper, a revolutionary newspaper of the Trade Union movement. Today, promoting that tradition, Lao Dong Newspaper is striving to meet the information needs and the right to information of its readers, as a forum for workers, workers and intellectuals. The newspapers of trade unions and Vietnamese workers pledge to join the Vietnam Revolutionary Press to strive to truly become a power of the people fighting for the cause of innovation of the revolution".
A friend standing side by side with workers and laborers
Due to the historical context, Lao Dong Newspaper had interruptions, until the success of the August Revolution, Lao Dong Newspaper published it publicly. Right from the first issue of the public edition on October 18, 1945, the newspaper continued to repeat its mission with the article Self- Introduction: "... Many economic, political and social issues must be raised; and of course, workers will have too big or backward policies. Therefore, workers are required to have a voice to clearly define their tasks and needs at this time, to help themselves move forward on the path of striving.
Therefore, Lao Dong newspaper continues to be born, new and strong.
Lao Dong will actively break the sabotage policies of the counter-revolutionaries, will meticulously study the situation and aspirations of workers in factories, workshops, and mines; will clearly define the tasks of workers in the current period, and will be a common forum for all Vietnamese workers.
Lao Dong is a friend who stands side by side with workers on the path of fighting to maintain the independence of the Fatherland...".
The history of Lao Dong Newspaper records its events associated with the country's journey. That was the period of rising to the Viet Bac battlefield during the 9 years of the nation's resistance war with the newspaper and printing site in Cao Van commune (now Phu Xuyen commune), Dai Tu district, Thai Nguyen province. Then returned from the battlefield to Hanoi to liberate the capital as the lyrics of musician Van Cao - who contributed directly to Lao Dong Newspaper as a technician in the first issues after the August 1945 Revolution:
The army moves like waves/ The army's classes advance like waves/ We go to listen to the joy when the enemy surrender/ The flag flies every day on the street/ The army is drunk in the sparkling song of the bright crystal tongue/ We bring the glory of national strength back/ The whole life is joyful here/five gates welcome the army's advance/ Like a flower festival celebrating the five peach blossoms...
In the army that returned to Hanoi 70 years ago, there were cadres and reporters from Lao Dong Newspaper.
And then in the months of struggle, national liberation, and national reunification, Lao Dong Newspaper reflected the enthusiastic working atmosphere of the Northern region of socialism and also had reporters going to the battlefield, sacrificing for the country's cause such as Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Lao Dong Newspaper Vo Van Ngoan and reporters Le Ai My, Le Nguyen Van...
Digital transformation, strongly innovating communication methods
In that journey, there were unforgettable milestones: In 1978, Lao Dong Newspaper was honored to receive the First Class Lao Dong Medal awarded by the President. 2009: Lao Dong Newspaper received the title of Lao Dong Hero of the renovation period. 2012: Lao Dong Newspaper received the First Class Labor Medal. 2014: On August 14, 2014, Lao Dong Newspaper was honored to receive the First Class Independence Medal for the second time. In 2018, Lao Dong Newspaper received the First Class Lao Dong Medal for the second time. In 2024, Lao Dong Newspaper received the First Class Labor Medal for the third time.
These are the recognition of the Party and State for the contributions of cadres and reporters of Lao Dong Newspaper. It is also impossible not to mention the recognition from the outside, in 1995, 1996, Lao Dong Newspaper was invited to attend international exhibitions in Paris (1995) and Le Havre (1996). At this exhibition, Courrier International voted Lao Dong Newspaper as a famous newspaper along with 200 other newspapers in the world.
To stand firm and develop, Lao Dong must go very quickly and also find a way to go far in the race for technology, competition with social networks to ensure the "IT front".
Lao Dong is one of the first two newspapers to develop electronic newspapers. On the occasion of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday, on May 19, 1999, Lao Dong Electronic Newspaper was born, which has now celebrated its 26th anniversary. In 2024, Lao Dong Newspaper was assessed by the Ministry of Information and Communications as a leading newspaper in digital transformation with the strong development of electronic newspapers, promoting media products, and developing newspapers on social networking platforms.
Regardless of the method, Lao Dong has never left its mission and goal as an agency of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor - caring for and protecting the legitimate and legal rights of workers. This is demonstrated through the dissemination of policies of the Party, State, and Trade Union organizations to workers, demonstrated through the discovery and protection of disadvantaged workers who have lost their rights in the process of labor and production. It is difficult to mention how many cases have been helped and protected.
The activities of the Golden Heart Social Charity Fund, major programs such as the glory of Vietnam, the Laborers' Business Ranking... of Lao Dong Newspaper continue to contribute to honoring and cheering on workers and laborers in the new period.
Former Editor-in-Chief of Lao Dong Newspaper Nguyen Xuan Cang once reminded generations of Lao Dong Newspaper to keep in mind: Lao Dong has always been loyal to its historical mission of being the voice of the trade union to protect the interests of the working class. That benefit is the independence and freedom of the Fatherland and the building of a fair and civilized society. Along with those basic benefits are daily benefits, employment, income, standard of living, safe working conditions... which are direct motivations for workers. It can be said that no newspaper is far from that task, no newspaper does not mention the basic and immediate benefits in all different and endless aspects....
The 96-year tradition of protecting the legitimate and legal rights and interests of workers and laborers is like a "bright light" for generations of Lao Dong Newspaper to continue to carry out their mission.
Editor-in-Chief of Lao Dong Newspaper Nguyen Ngoc Hien affirmed: Lao Dong Newspaper will continue to firmly hold the number one position in protecting workers. And to do so, Lao Dong Newspaper needs to change the communication method from paper newspapers to electronic newspapers, from expressing through written newspapers to multimedia communication. Lao Dong Newspaper determined that the newspaper must be closer to workers and laborers, creating trust for workers.
