A special "Party activity" session to workers' awareness
On the morning of January 20, the opening ceremony of the 14th Party Congress took place solemnly, in Khanh Hoa, a large number of workers and officials, union members also eagerly followed this important political event.
On normal days, at Khanh Hoa Salanganes Nest State Co., Ltd., the sound of machinery starts very early. Working hours begin like any other day. Workers stand in positions, familiar with the work, watching every detail of the product. The working schedule is regular, not noisy, not rushed.
But that morning there was another point. At the company meeting room, a large screen was turned on. Not for production meetings, nor for labor safety training. On the screen was the opening ceremony of the 14th National Party Congress.
For workers, the Party Congress is not a distant story. It is an event directly related to their work, income and future.
In many businesses, grassroots trade unions have coordinated with employers to arrange suitable time and space for workers to watch the opening ceremony of the Congress. The atmosphere at factories and construction sites has therefore also become special.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Truong The Hien, an employee of Vina Nha Trang Mechanical Joint Stock Company, expressed his wish that the Congress will continue to pay attention to the lives, jobs and rights of workers, creating conditions for workers to feel secure and stick with the business for a long time.
Representing party members who are direct workers, Mr. Ngo Quoc Binh - Team Leader shared that watching the screen and the scene of the opening ceremony made him emotional.
Mr. Binh confided, "As a worker party member, I expect the 14th Congress to have development orientations to create conditions for businesses to innovate technology and improve production efficiency.
At the same time, there are policies for workers to improve their skills and master technology so that no workers are left behind in the face of the AI and technology wave.
The belief of workers in the Congress is not a temporary emotion. It is formed from specific changes in life in recent years.
In conversations with machines, in boarding houses or during breaks, workers mention the Congress with very ordinary wishes: social housing, enough salary to live on, stable welfare, vocational training, reduce working hours when conditions permit.
That is not a demand that exceeds the capacity of the economy, but a legitimate need of those who are directly creating wealth for society. A trade union official shared that this Congress is expected by workers to continue to affirm the view of "taking people as the center". For workers, that means that policies will go straight into life, not stopping at policies.
Only when workers can live on their salaries, have stable housing, and have conditions to take care of their families can production be sustainable," this official said.
What is easily noticeable 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 of the feeling that they are part of the common process.
Mr. Tuan, a mechanical worker, said that watching the Congress makes him more aware of his own responsibility. "The Party is concerned about big things. And we must do our job well. Making quality products, complying with labor discipline, that is also a way to contribute to implementing policies.
In difficult localities, where many workers are ethnic minorities, belief in the Congress is associated with the desire to escape poverty sustainably. They hope to have stable jobs right in their homeland, and receive vocational training so as not to have to leave their villages to work far away.
In Hanoi, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thom - a worker at Hanoi Green Parks Company and colleagues are carrying out the work of pruning and replacing the last flower pots to complete miniatures in the Uncle Ho's Mausoleum area, decorating streets to celebrate the Party Congress. Ms. Thom said: "This task is not only planting trees, but also how to make trees and flowers look most beautiful and radiant right on the days of the Congress. Tired is tiring, but when I see the results of brilliant streets, seeing people excitedly taking pictures next to the flower carpets they planted, I feel very proud because I have contributed a small part to the success of the Congress.
And Ms. Pham Thanh Hien - an environmental sanitation worker in Hanoi also shared: "I am a manual laborer, I have no big contributions, I only know how to try to keep the section of road I am in charge of as clean and beautiful as possible.
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 trade union official said that these days, many union members actively exchange, contribute ideas, and express their wishes about labor policies and social security. "That is a positive sign. Workers are not standing outside the Congress, but participate with their own voices.
This is also an opportunity for trade union officials to share and send their thoughts and aspirations. Chairman of the Binh Duong University Grassroots Trade Union (CDCS), Master Nguyen Ngoc Chien said: "I expect the 14th National Congress of the Party to make breakthrough and practical decisions, focusing on improving the material life (social housing, schools for workers' children), spirit (cultural institutions), social security and better policies to ensure stable workers, feel secure in their work, and promote socio-economic development.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai Chi - Chairwoman of the Grassroots 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 to be left behind. I expect the role of the Trade Union organization to continue to be promoted more clearly, operating close to the grassroots level, truly being a support for union members. I believe that the 14th Party Congress will select a leadership team with enough heart, enough stature, with policies close to the people, feasible, contributing to improving the lives of workers and sustainable national development.
On the sidelines of the Congress, in an interview with Lao Dong Newspaper, Member of the Party Central Committee, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour 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 on 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 knowledge, skills, technology mastery and high discipline. If the country's development strategy is based on science and technology, innovation, then workers cannot stand outside that process.
Here, the role of the Trade Union is not only to care for, but also to participate in construction: from training, retraining, to forming industrial style and modern labor culture. If this is not done, the working class will find it difficult to maintain a pioneering role, and may even be "out of the game" in the country's own development process.
The proposal to shift from the minimum wage to the minimum living standard is a noteworthy step forward in policy thinking. This is not a technical story, but a matter of the nature of labor relations. When workers "have jobs but not enough to live on", all slogans about stability, attachment or dedication become fragile. Reality shows that many labor disputes originate from the feeling of being disadvantaged in the distribution of benefits.
The President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor also mentioned research to reduce working hours. Labor productivity cannot be increased 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 is 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 shift from "heavy labor" to "smart labor". That is also a measure showing that workers are placed in the center of development, not just the "input" of production.
With absolute belief in the leadership of the Party and the good success of the 14th Congress, the working class and the Vietnam Trade Union organization are willing to unite, promote glorious traditions, revolutionary pioneering spirit, steadily move forward under the glorious flag of the Communist Party of Vietnam, determined to make unremitting, proactive, and creative efforts to soon bring the Resolution of the 14th Congress of the Party into life; together with the entire Party, people and army, joining hands to realize the aspiration to develop a prosperous and happy country" - Chairman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor emphasized.
Workers and high-quality human resources are the "decisive lever" for development breakthrough
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 Party Congress. Referring to 3 strategic breakthroughs, the General Secretary emphasized: "Three strategic breakthroughs identified from the 13th Congress are meaningful for the entire period 2021 - 2030, but entering the 14th Congress term, the requirement is to do it strongly, quickly, and thoroughly, because these are decisive levers for the country to break through".
In these strategies, the labor force, especially high-quality labor, is an inevitable requirement. "A breakthrough in human resources, especially high-quality human resources associated with science, technology, and innovation. Fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training; linking training with labor market needs; strengthening digital capacity; forming a team of managers, experts, entrepreneurs, good scientists, and high-tech workers, meeting the country's breakthrough development requirements" - the report clearly stated.
For many years, Vietnam has been assessed as a country with advantages in abundant, young, and diligent labor. However, the advantage in quantity is gradually narrowing, while the requirements for labor quality are increasingly high. The current competition is no longer who has more labor, but who has better labor, 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. Conversely, when workers are equipped with modern skills, knowledge and industrial thinking, they become the decisive force for their ability to participate deeply in the global value chain.
Therefore, placing workers at the center of the development strategy is not only a humane view, but a vital choice for the economy.
A noteworthy point is the requirement for fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training, linking training with the needs of the labor market, and strengthening digital capacity for workers.
In the context of digital transformation and automation, artificial intelligence is developing rapidly, and the skill life cycle is increasingly short. This poses a requirement not only for initial training, but also for retraining, regular training, considering lifelong learning as an inevitable condition so that workers are not left behind.
Here, the role of the State, businesses and trade union organizations needs to be seen as a whole. The State creates a policy framework and resources; businesses link training with production and business; trade unions protect the right to study and improve the skills of workers. If each subject does their part well, high-quality human resources will no longer be a slogan.
The three strategic breakthroughs are in institutions and implementation; breakthroughs in human resources and breakthroughs in synchronous and modern infrastructure with organic relationships.
Institutions, no matter how open, also need a capable enforcement team. Infrastructures, no matter how modern, also need people with sufficient qualifications to exploit, operate and create new values. Weak human resources will make institutions and infrastructure wasteful.
To break through socio-economic development, we cannot just rely on policies or projects, but must invest substantially in people. Investing in workers is not a cost, but a long-term profit-generating investment.
When workers are well-trained, their rights are protected, and they are given development opportunities, they will become a pioneering force in realizing the aspiration to build a fast, 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 they themselves, from the beneficiaries of policies, are the ones who make decisive contributions to future achievements, as required by the 14th National Congress.
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