Vietnam Considers Making Vietnamese Cultural Day a Paid Public Holiday

Vietnam is considering making November 24th, "Vietnamese Cultural Day," a public holiday with paid leave for workers as part of amendments to the Labor Code. This proposal aims to institutionalize new directions from the Politburo's Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW on developing Vietnamese culture. The draft law, submitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, proposes amending Article 112 of the Labor Code concerning holidays and festivals. It designates the Minister of Home Affairs with the authority to specifically announce annual holidays. Furthermore, it mandates that the notification of holidays for the following year be completed by September 30th of the preceding year. This change is intended to facilitate better planning for citizens and businesses, avoiding the current difficulties caused by last-minute announcements. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has expressed support for designating "Vietnamese Cultural Day" as a holiday, deeming it necessary and urging its consideration for implementation before November 2026. The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, while agreeing with the earlier notification deadline for holidays, also requested considerations for reducing administrative burdens for foreign workers and incorporating provisions for political and legal education for laborers. In addition to the Labor Code, the proposed amendments also cover certain articles of the Archives Law, the Law on Gender Equality, and the Law on Red Cross activities. These changes aim to unify the division of powers and responsibilities in line with the restructuring of state administrative organizations and to ensure legal consistency following the state's organizational reforms. These legislative efforts reflect Vietnam's ongoing efforts to refine its legal framework and align it with socio-economic development goals under its one-party system. Source: Nhan Dan