This extension would give parents the necessary time off to accompany their children to school opening ceremonies, which traditionally take place nationwide on Sep. 5.
The recommendation was one of five policy groups submitted to Party and government leaders on Thursday during the opening session of the 14th Vietnam Trade Union Congress in Hanoi.
These proposals were compiled from tens of thousands of opinions collected from union members and workers across the country. They include a broader call for a comprehensive revision of the 2019 Labor Code to better align with current socio-economic conditions.
The proposal to extend the National Day holiday is not entirely new. During discussions on amendments to the Labor Code in 2019, the trade union advocated for three extra days off around the Sep. 2 holiday.
Lawmakers then approved only one additional day, which the government annually schedules either immediately before or after Sep. 2 as decided by the Prime Minister.
The VGCL renewed its push in 2023. The union emphasized that many factory and shift workers still find it incredibly difficult to arrange time off to attend their children’s school opening day.
Under current standard labor rules, employees are entitled to a compensatory day off if a public holiday falls on a weekend.
For 2026, however, the government is shifting the Monday, Aug. 31 workday to Saturday, Aug. 22, resulting in a continuous five-day break from Aug. 29 through Sep. 2.
Days off for the upcoming National Day in Vietnam. Graphics by Read/Tam Thao |
Expanding public leave
The new proposal comes as lawmakers are already considering expansions to the national holiday calendar. In April, the legislative National Assembly (NA) approved a resolution designating November 24 as Vietnam Culture Day.
Workers will be entitled to a paid day off on this date. Additionally, visitors may receive free or discounted admission to public cultural and sports facilities, pending decisions by local authorities.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is currently studying the inclusion of this new paid holiday in the proposed Labor Code amendments.
If approved during the upcoming second session of the 16th NA in October, Vietnam’s official public holidays would automatically increase from 11 to 12 days per year.
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A total of 780 delegates representing more than 10 million workers nationwide attend the 14th Vietnam Trade Union Congress in Hanoi from June 3 to 5. Photo by Read/Hoang Phong |
Alongside the call for more public holidays, the VGCL reiterated its proposal to reduce standard working hours in the business sector.
The union aims to cap the workweek at 40 to 44 hours, bringing private enterprise standards closer to those of the public sector.
Under the current Labor Code, standard working hours cannot exceed eight hours per day or 48 hours per week. While employers must inform employees of their daily or weekly schedules in advance, the government only formally encourages businesses to adopt a 40-hour workweek.
Data from the Department of Work Safety in 2019 showed that Vietnamese workers rank among the highest in Southeast Asia for annual working hours, as the country offers relatively few public holidays.
The average annual working time in Vietnam is around 2,320 hours. While this is lower than in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand, it remains significantly higher than in Singapore, Indonesia, Laos, and Cambodia.
The 14th Vietnam Trade Union Congress, which runs from June 3 to 5, is being attended by 780 delegates representing more than 10 million union members nationwide.
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