Labour Day in Vietnam

A paid public holiday

Article 112 of Vietnam’s 2019 Labour Code grants employees one day of fully paid leave for International Labour Day on May 1. The same article lists April 30 as Victory Day, so the two holidays fall on consecutive dates. If a weekly day off coincides with a public holiday, the Code provides a day off on the next working day.[2]

Vietnam’s history of May 1

International Workers’ Day grew out of labour campaigns for shorter working hours, including the 1886 workers’ action in Chicago. In Vietnam, May 1 took on a particular political meaning: workers and peasants held a rally and demonstration in 1930, voicing demands for workers’ rights and solidarity with workers abroad. The movement marked the start of the 1930–1931 revolutionary wave, according to the historical account published by Vietnam’s Institute of Government Information and Publications.[1]

After independence, May 1 became an official holiday in 1946. That year, Hanoi hosted the first formal national commemoration, which the same account describes as a large rally attended by workers.[1]

Commemorations and what to expect

The historical account describes rallies, demonstrations and public commemoration as part of Labour Day’s story in Vietnam.[1]

The law guarantees employees paid leave, but it does not specify that every office, bank, shop or transport service must close. Opening hours and services may therefore depend on the individual organization; check directly before making plans.[2]

International context

May 1 is observed internationally as a day associated with workers’ solidarity and the struggle for better working conditions. In Vietnam, that wider history is connected to the country’s own labour movement and the 1930 actions.[1]