Party General Secretary and State President To Lam attended and delivered a keynote address at the opening of the Congress themed "Unity-Democracy-Discipline-Innovation-Development". Also, in attendance were Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, and Permanent Member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu.
In his address, General Secretary and President Lam emphasized that throughout the Vietnamese revolution, the working class has always been the pioneering force, the core of the alliance of workers, farmers, and intellectuals. They are the force directly producing material wealth and building the economic and technical foundations of the country, he said. This force has organizational awareness, discipline, solidarity, and political acumen. In the next term, the Vietnam Trade Union needs to build a modern, strong Vietnamese working class, worthy of being the pioneering force in national industrialization and modernization, according to the top leader.
“Putting union members and workers at the center of all trade union activities. Trade unions are created to represent, care for, and protect workers. Every program, plan, and movement must answer the question: what do workers gain, what rights are protected, what difficulties are resolved, and what voices are heard? Wherever there are workers, there must be a trade union. Wherever the legitimate rights of workers are affected, the trade union must have a voice. Wherever there is a risk of labor disputes, the trade union must proactively engage in dialogue, mediation, and protect what is right and the legitimate interests of workers,” Mr. Lam said.
General Secretary and President Lam called for strong reforms in grassroots trade unions, considering the grassroots level as the decisive factor in the vitality of the trade union organization. He stressed the need to build harmonious, stable, and progressive labor relations, contributing to maintaining social stability and the environment for national development. The trade union must participate more actively in building the Party, building the political system, and consolidating the social foundation of the Party within the working class. The top leader urged for greater efforts to build a modern, professional, digitized, transparent, and capable Vietnamese trade union in the new situation.
“In a socialist-oriented market economy, the interests of the State, enterprises, and workers must be handled harmoniously. Trade unions must enhance their capacity for collective resolution, workplace dialogue, and early dispute prevention at the grassroots level. Workers' concerns must be listened to and addressed. We encourage businesses to operate efficiently, innovate, and integrate deeply into global value chains. At the same time, we must require businesses to respect labor laws, ensure occupational safety and health, pay full insurance contributions, and care for the lives of workers. Investing in workers is investing in productivity, brand reputation, and the long-term development of businesses.”
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam emphasized that the country needs a more modern, capable, and creative working class; workers need a trade union organization that is closer, more practical, and stronger. He requested the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to promptly concretize the Congress Resolution into an action program with clear responsibilities, tasks, deadlines, and expected results.
