Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to seek views on extending holiday break

This year, the Hung Kings Commemoration Day holiday and the Reunification Day and May Day holidays fall just two days apart.

Some enterprises and grassroots unions have proposed moving the compensatory day off for Hung Kings Commemoration Day, which falls on April 27, to April 29 or May 2, allowing workers to take four to five consecutive days off during the April 30–May 1 holiday period.

However, the Labor Code stipulates that compensatory days off must be arranged immediately after a public holiday or a weekly rest day that coincides with a holiday, and cannot be moved to another time. The proposed swap is therefore not in line with current regulations.

Ngo Duy Hieu, Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, said many grassroots unions and workers had submitted proposals on swapping days off.

He said the confederation listened to workers’ opinions, reviewed legal provisions and consulted with the Ministry of Home Affairs before making an official proposal.

The confederation is expected to continue collecting feedback from union members and workers through social media channels.

It has already gathered opinions from grassroots unions and will expand consultations to the wider workforce before finalizing any proposal.

One of the main obstacles is the requirement that compensatory leave must be taken immediately after the holiday.

Earlier, on April 3, the Department of Employment under the Ministry of Home Affairs said there was no plan to swap the Hung Kings Commemoration Day holiday with the April 30–May 1 holiday, and that the schedule would follow the Labor Code.

The ministry has announced the 2026 public holiday schedule, which applies to public sector employees, while workers in the private sector will follow the Labor Code and agreements with their employers.

Hai Phong News