Uncle Ho with the working class and trade unions

(Baonghean.vn) - Beloved Uncle Ho was not only the founder and trainer of our Party, but also the one who laid the foundation and theory for the establishment of the Vietnam Trade Union. He soon recognized and affirmed the historical mission and great role of the Vietnamese working class and trade unions in the struggle for national independence and freedom as well as in building and defending the Fatherland.

To Uncle Ho, the Trade Union is a school of communism. To implement it well, trade union cadres must imbue and educate workers: The consciousness of collective mastery and thrift in building the country.

He requested that trade unions at all levels must unite and coordinate to help each other among organizations and professions; fight against the mentality of waiting, dependence and localism; must have a plan to train heroes and emulation fighters to promote their exemplary role and leading effect; for intellectual workers and scientific and technical cadres, there must be a plan to help them constantly progress.

Uncle Ho visited the families of workers at the Trade Union Cadre School, 1961. Photo archive.

The trade union must do a good job of protecting workers and must truly take care of the food and housing of workers and employees. Within the trade union organization, it is also necessary to practice true democracy, along with respect for collective leadership. Every time a directive or resolution is issued, it must be for the common good of the masses, and the level of acceptance of the masses must be studied to know the actual results and then corrected. Whatever is done must be well prepared and have a practical plan.

Speaking at the Second National Trade Union Congress in February 1961, Uncle Ho emphasized: “Inventions, initiatives, and technical improvements are also important issues. If the Trade Union knows how to encourage, apply, improve, and widely disseminate these initiatives, labor productivity will continuously increase.”

In 1969, in an exchange with the leaders of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, Uncle Ho stated: “The union needs to focus on strongly promoting the collective mastery role of workers and civil servants in participating in enterprise management, economic management, and state management to effectively carry out three revolutions: Revolution in production relations, technical revolution, and ideological and cultural revolution. The union must protect workers' real rights in the enterprise, the right to criticize everything and everyone in the enterprise. They have the right to speak out on all issues of enterprise management, production, life... There must be true democracy in the election of union executive committees, electing people who truly represent them. In short, it is necessary to make workers aware of all activities of the enterprise and the economic and cultural life of society, only then can the mastery role of the working class be promoted”.

Uncle Ho met with workers at Gia Lam Railway Factory, Hanoi in 1955. Photo archive.

Speaking at the Conference of grassroots trade union cadres in the North in 1962, Uncle Ho hoped that trade union cadres should have a courageous spirit, strong will, and determination to overcome difficulties and fulfill the tasks assigned by the Party. Trade union cadres must be people who understand production, life, and aspirations of workers and civil servants, must understand the Party's policies, and must understand economic, scientific, and technical management. Trade union cadres "must be good at both politics and economics" to be able to lead the increasingly developing workforce and have a level of cultural ideology and technology.

Uncle reminded: Trade union cadres must participate in labor and be close to workers and civil servants. If trade union cadres are far from workers, how can they fulfill their duties? To educate workers well, first of all, the team of trade union cadres must be united. We must resolutely build unity and solidarity within the trade union system.

Uncle Ho visited Thong Nhat match factory in the early years of economic recovery (1956). Photo archive

In work: “Union cadres must eat, live, work and discuss with workers”. Each worker and civil servant must voluntarily and consciously maintain labor discipline, work the full 8 golden hours, preserve public property and practice thrift.

He affirmed: Our country is poor, if we want to be happy, we must work hard, consider work as a sacred duty, a source of life, a source of happiness for everyone and for future generations. Cadres, workers, and civil servants understood this, so they tried to do good work. But there are still some who do not understand it correctly, so they are lazy to work.

He noted: “If everyone is enthusiastic about working, it is not good if some workers are lazy. To maintain labor discipline, one must be enthusiastic and creative. Enthusiasm and creativity are shown in competition. Competition is not competition. Everyone must strive to progress, not hide their skills, the person in front understands, leads the person behind, and makes everyone progress together.”

Uncle Ho with delegates attending the first National Congress of Heroes, Emulation Fighters and Exemplary Cadres (May 1952). Photo courtesy

In the process of developing the Vietnam Trade Union, in addition to paying attention to building and consolidating the organization, Uncle Ho also always reminded and called on the working class to mobilize patriotic emulation movements. From his ideas, the Vietnam Trade Union launched many famous emulation movements and achieved extremely great results such as: "Patriotic Emulation" Movement, "Increasing production", "Productivity - quality - efficiency", "Good worker", "Good at national work, good at housework", "Initiative, thrift", "Serving the cause of industrialization, modernization of agriculture and rural development"...

Throughout his life, he always had a special love and devoted much time to building the working class and the development of the Trade Union. He always had a strong desire to build a pioneering, advanced, modern class, representing the country and people of Vietnam.

Until the last minute of his life, he still had complete faith in the courage and strength of the working class, because more than anyone else, he deeply understood that: The future and destiny of the nation depend largely on this vanguard class.

Uncle Ho visited textile factory workers on March 8, 1965. Photo: Archive

Uncle Ho's views and teachings on trade unions and trade union cadres since the last time he met with the trade union leaders in July 1969, it has been 48 years. Since then, especially since the country's renovation, the socio-economic situation of our country has changed profoundly. The knowledge and professional level of the working class and intellectuals have been constantly improved.

Trade union organizations and trade union cadres are constantly innovating, performing well the function of caring for and protecting the legitimate rights of workers. Vietnamese trade union cadres always keep in mind the affectionate teachings of Uncle Ho: To organize and develop the great force of the working class, we need strong trade unions and good trade union cadres.

Peace

(Synthetic)