That is the honor and pride of many generations of cadres and reporters of Lao Dong Newspaper.
***
During the process of searching and collecting documents to complete the history of Lao Dong Newspaper, we found many valuable documents. Including a letter from President Ho Chi Minh to Lao Dong Newspaper in the Spring of Canh Dan 1950. This letter was not published in Lao Dong Newspaper until April 14,3.
The letter is as follows:
"In the new year, I send my warmest wishes to the workers to make progress in all aspects.
Here is the answer to Lao Dong Newspaper:
- Vietnamese workers need to be volunteers in all work of resistance and national defense. Dispersing colonialism, liberating the nation, regaining unity and independence, building a new democratic Vietnam - that is, fighting for world peace and democracy.
- To achieve that goal, workers must organize closely and widely, compete to increase livestock production, compete to study to improve forever, improve their spiritual and material lives, and sabotage the enemy's economy. That is a common task for all workers in the free zone and in the temporary zone occupied by the enemy.
- As for the children of laborers, they must study and work together, so that they can become cadres in the process of building and consolidating the new democratic Vietnam.
- In short: To be worthy of a leading class, our workers must be proactive in all matters of the country and society.
This year is the year we have to strongly switch to general counter-attacks. I hope that each of us and all our workers will fulfill the tasks of a pioneering class, to share the glory in the great victory of the nation.
The content of the letter was then included in volume 6, the "Ho Chi Minh Complete" collection of the National Political Publishing House Truth.
Through other documents, it can be seen that President Ho Chi Minh has a special attention to trade union organization and labor newspaper. In the document "Ho Chi Minh - Bien Nien Chuong 10 period 1967 - 1969", there was a record of Uncle Ho's conversation with the leader of the Vietnam General Union on July 18, 1969 (ie just 2 months before the death): "After referring to the task of the Trade Union in the cause of economic construction and the struggle against the US, saving the country, criticizing the union of the union, the union is strongly focused on the union. of workers and officials in participating in enterprise management, economic management, state management to well implement 3 revolutions: production revolution, technical revolution and cultural ideological revolution. Trade Union must protect workers with real rights in the factory, have the right to criticize everything and everyone in the factory. They have the right to speak about all management, production, life ... ”.
He also emphasized the organizational role of the Trade Union and the requirements for trade union officials. Not only must you be good at politics, but also must you be proficient in economics, cannot lead in general and must understand what workers do; otherwise, you cannot lead. He also emphasized the issue of solidarity because: "To educate workers well, the first of all, the team of union officials must be united. We must resolutely build solidarity and unity in the trade union systems... and "must promote internal democracy".
The document also recorded the story: President Ho Chi Minh took a pre-cut newspaper issue from his desk, gave it to a comrade to watch and continued:
"I read Lao Dong Newspaper, there was an article about some workers who only work very few hours a day. He was very heartbroken. The State Law stipulates that each worker and civil servant must work 8 hours. If there are people who only work a few hours, it is clear that they do not fulfill their responsibility to the State and the people.
Who builds socialism? In general, it is the workers in society, including workers, farmers, revolutionary intellectuals... but the key force in building socialism is workers. During the period of anti-US and national saving, there were still people who did not enlighten the interests of the class and clearly did not work well in mobilizing workers.
Trade union officials must see all their responsibilities to the people, society and for the cause of anti -American and save the country to improve their own will to attack and their sense of responsibility. It is possible to build a team of workers with high enlightenment, patriotism and passionate socialism, a collective mastery, truly cultural and scientific and technical qualifications to contribute more and more to the anti -American, saving country and the cause of socialism. ”
***
In 1990, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UN UNESCO) honored President Ho Chi Minh with the title: National Liberation Hero, World Cultural Celebrity. For the press, President Ho Chi Minh is not only a great teacher but also an outstanding journalist of the Vietnam Revolutionary Press.
With Uncle Ho's affection and concern for workers, the Trade Union organization and Lao Dong Newspaper, in 1999, the Editorial Board of Lao Dong Newspaper decided to choose Uncle Ho's birthday to press the button to launch the Lao Dong Electronic Newspaper: May 19, 1999.
Talking about the time of the birth of electronic Lao Dong, journalist Pham Huy Hoan - former Editor-in-Chief of Lao Dong Newspaper once shared: "At first, electronic Lao Dong simply pushed articles from newspapers to online, so that Vietnamese people and friends across the world could read and know the situation in the country. Doing this during that time was also a step forward. Later, Lao Dong electronic began to be improved to be able to continuously update by the hour.
After only 1-2 years of its establishment, the Electronic Lao Dong Newspaper has resonate with friends around the world. I have received many letters from leaders of French newspapers asking for permission to reuse the articles in Lao Dong Electronic Newspaper, because they have faith in and appreciate Lao Dong's articles".
Taking President Ho Chi Minh's birthday as the button to launch the Lao Dong electronic newspaper 26 years ago is also a reminder of Uncle Ho's teachings at the 3rd Congress of the Vietnam Journalists Association in September 1962: "Every time I write an article, I ask myself: Who should I write to? What to write for? How to write for popularity, easy to understand, concise and easy to read. When I finish writing, I will ask you to review and edit it.
26 years have passed, every May 19th, Lao Dong Newspaper workers review the past, review Uncle Ho's lessons in journalism and journalism to continue to contribute and try to keep up with the lyrics of the song "The Congress of Lao Dong Newspaper" by musician Ho Trong Tuan:
"... New tasks for journalists today
Integrating into the wide world
For our workers, pioneers, for our country's growth
We are proud to be Lao Dong Newspaper
Keep the glorious tradition....
