Vietnam is considering making July 27, War Invalids and Martyrs Day, a paid public holiday from 2027, allowing workers to take part in activities honoring those who sacrificed for the country.
The proposal was discussed at a National Assembly session on November 9 as lawmakers reviewed amendments to the Law on Social Insurance, Labor Code, Law on Archives, Law on Gender Equality, Law on Red Cross Activities and Law on Employment.
Under the proposed amendments to the Labor Code, employees would receive 12 fully paid public holidays annually, up from the current 11, with November 24 designated as Vietnam Culture Day.
National Assembly deputy Nguyen Sy Hoi of Nghe An Province proposed adding another paid holiday on July 27, which marks War Invalids and Martyrs Day.
Hoi said Vietnam had undergone significant socioeconomic development, while the Party and State had consistently prioritized social welfare, poverty reduction and policies supporting people who rendered meritorious service to the nation.
He noted that commemorations of War Invalids and Martyrs Day involve extensive educational and remembrance activities nationwide.
National Assembly deputy Nguyen Sy Hoi said policies that reflect the people's aspirations can generate motivation and strengthen national unity.
Organizations at central and local levels regularly visit Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, families of fallen soldiers, wounded veterans and other beneficiaries of preferential policies.
They also organize the restoration of martyrs' cemeteries and memorials, incense offerings and candlelight tributes, reflecting the Vietnamese tradition of remembering those who made sacrifices for the country.
According to Hoi, discussions with families of war veterans, former youth volunteers, former wartime civilian support workers and local residents revealed widespread support for making July 27 a paid holiday.
He added that several participants at an early October appraisal meeting of the National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Social Affairs had made similar recommendations.
Hoi emphasized that honoring people who contributed to the nation should remain a regular and continuous responsibility rather than an activity confined to a single commemorative occasion.
He cited recent nationwide efforts to search for, recover and identify the remains of fallen soldiers, including a 500-day campaign launched by the national steering committee.
The campaign, he said, had generated widespread public engagement and responded to the longstanding wishes of many families of fallen soldiers.
Recalling a memorial and burial ceremony for fallen soldiers at Le Thi Rieng Park in Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi described the event as deeply moving.
He said not only officials and Party members but also residents, students, lottery ticket sellers and scrap collectors had waited for hours to pay their final respects.
The lawmaker argued that recognizing July 27 as a paid holiday would give employees more time to participate in remembrance activities with their families, relatives, friends and local communities.
Mandatory social insurance proposed for ride-hailing drivers from 2028
A memorial and burial ceremony for fallen soldiers at Le Thi Rieng Park in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Nguyen Hue.
During discussions on amendments to the Law on Social Insurance, lawmakers also considered expanding mandatory social insurance coverage to workers without conventional employment relationships.
The draft proposes allowing the National Assembly Standing Committee to decide on mandatory social insurance participation for workers without formal employment contracts and digital platform workers with regular, stable employment and income.
Such decisions would be based on government proposals and socioeconomic conditions during each development period.
Deputy Le Huu Tri of Khanh Hoa Province supported expanding mandatory social insurance coverage to informal workers, particularly delivery workers, ride-hailing drivers and people earning income through digital platforms.
He said this workforce was growing rapidly but continued to face limited access to social protection policies.
However, Tri cautioned that policymakers must distinguish between the objective of expanding coverage and the practical mechanisms needed to implement it.
If eligibility is defined too broadly without clearly establishing contribution responsibilities, calculation methods, platform obligations and worker protections, the policy could create disputes and impose additional financial burdens on people with low or unstable incomes.
Determining contribution-based income would be particularly complicated for workers paid per trip or order, or those simultaneously working across multiple digital platforms.
Tri warned that poorly designed regulations could increase workers' immediate expenses without providing sufficiently clear long-term benefits, potentially encouraging avoidance of mandatory participation.
National Assembly deputy Le Huu Tri said supplementary pension policies must genuinely improve retirement income rather than simply create another financial investment channel.
He therefore called for more specific provisions on eligible worker categories, implementation dates, contribution methods and the responsibilities of relevant parties.
The lawmaker suggested conducting separate impact assessments for different worker groups and considering implementation from 2028 for digital platform workers if immediate enforcement proves impractical.
Such a timetable would provide additional time to complete the legal framework, connect data systems among social insurance agencies, tax authorities and digital platforms, and build public understanding and consensus.
Tri also supported developing supplementary pension insurance schemes to diversify retirement income and reduce pressure on the basic social security system.
However, he stressed that these policies must be based on comprehensive assessments.
He recommended against expanding or changing the categories of beneficiaries before the effectiveness of existing policies had been fully evaluated.
Strict oversight mechanisms would also be necessary to prevent the misuse of tax incentives or the transformation of supplementary pension funds into capital-raising instruments or means of avoiding tax obligations.
Minister confirms proposed July 27 holiday could begin in 2027
Responding to lawmakers' comments, Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Tien Hai said the draft legislation was intended to institutionalize Politburo Resolution 80.
Under the draft, November 24 would be officially designated Vietnam Culture Day, with employees entitled to a fully paid day off beginning in 2026.
The minister said the drafting agency would consider feedback from the National Assembly's reviewing bodies, lawmakers and competent authorities when revising the Labor Code.
The revisions would include a provision recognizing July 27, War Invalids and Martyrs Day, as an annual paid holiday.
The additional holiday is expected to take effect in 2027.
According to the minister, the measure would enable employees to participate in activities honoring previous generations who contributed to the nation and those who rendered meritorious service to the revolution, while preserving and promoting Vietnam's traditions of gratitude and remembrance.
Vietnamnet.vn
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