Speaking at a press conference to inform about the results of the 13th Congress of the Vietnam Trade Union for the 2023-2028 term, on the morning of December 3, Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor Ngo Duy Hieu provided detailed information about the proposal to add 2 more days off for the National Day of September 2 for union members and workers that was just raised.

According to Mr. Hieu, at the time of collecting opinions on the 2019 Labor Code, the drafting agency provided information on the number of holidays in Southeast Asian countries and around the world. The number of holidays and Tet holidays in Southeast Asian countries ranges from 15 to 16 days a year, of which our country only has 11 holidays.

"We set out to increase the number of holidays in the year from now on," Mr. Hieu said.

Discussing why the proposal to add 2 more days off on the occasion of National Day on September 2nd was chosen, until the opening day of school, the Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor said that currently, the National Day holiday is 2 days off, union members and workers want to take an additional day off until September 5th to have the conditions to take their children to the opening day of school.

"For assembly line workers, taking their children to school on the first day of school is a dream, so the proposal is to increase the number of days off for National Day, September 2. This ensures that the wishes of workers are met," said Mr. Hieu.

This person added that when workers' lives get better and their incomes get higher, the issue of increasing the number of holidays in a year will arise.

Previously, in the report on the recommendations of union members and workers to the 13th Congress of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, union members proposed to study increasing annual holidays and Tet holidays at an appropriate time. The reason is that the number of holidays in Vietnam is currently 5-6 days lower than the average of Southeast Asian countries and the world.

Specifically, workers hope to add 2 more days off for National Day, to extend the holiday from September 2 to September 5, creating an opportunity for workers and laborers to take their children to school on the first day of school.

The union's summary report said that this is the earnest wish of the majority of workers with school-age children.