Vietnam’s Unions Demand Shorter Work Week as Productivity Lags Regional Peers

Productivity remains a stubborn challenge for Vietnam’s workforce. Data presented during the 14th congress of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) in early June showed that the country’s output per worker in 2025 reached only 41 percent of Malaysia’s level and a mere 11 percent of Singapore’s. To close that gap, the VGCL launched an initiative titled “Excellent Workers – High Productivity – Good Income” on June 7 at the Th?ng Long Industrial Park in Hanoi. Scheduled to run until 2031, the programme aims to spur innovation and technical improvements. Between 2021 and 2025, labour productivity grew by an average of 5.3 percent annually. More than 380,000 technical proposals from workers generated significant economic gains, the union reported.

The congress, held from June 3 to 5 in Hanoi, brought together 780 delegates representing roughly ten million members. Delegates re?elected Nguyen Anh Tuan as VGCL president. A new executive committee of 135 members was formed, with a standing committee of 27 people. Four vice?presidents were appointed, including Ngo Duy Hieu and Thai Thu Xuong.

General Secretary and President To Lam outlined six priority action areas. They include building a modern working class, strengthening member?centred services, reinforcing grassroots unions, fostering harmonious labour relations, and transforming the union itself into a digital?first organisation.

Even before the main congress sessions, union leaders put forward concrete proposals to improve living conditions. On June 4, they submitted suggested revisions to the 2019 Labour Code. The core demand: cut the weekly working limit from 48 hours to between 40 and 44 hours. The VGCL also called for two additional public holidays around the National Day celebrations in early September. Beyond hours and holidays, the union wants the government to expand social housing for industrial workers and overhaul vocational training programmes. Currently, only about 29.2 percent of the workforce holds formal qualifications.

Digital transformation was identified as one of two pivotal breakthroughs needed in the coming years. The target is for 100 percent of union officials to become competent users of digital platforms. Programmes such as “Every Member – One New Digital Competency” are designed to push technological skills down to the grassroots level. Regional branches have already begun implementation. The union in Da Nang, as well as chapters in provinces like Dong Thap and Son La, are leading the way. In Dong Thap, medical check?ups were organised for hundreds of workers, and financial assistance was distributed to needy members.

Union leaders view the digital shift as more than a technical upgrade. They describe it as a necessary change in mindset – one that will make union work more efficient and strengthen the protection of workers’ rights in an increasingly automated industrial environment.

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