Standing side by side with workers

During the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival 2024, Tan Uyen city had 18,000 Trade Union members and workers staying in the locality to celebrate Tet. With the Trade Union fund, local budget and socialization, Tan Uyen city’s Labor Union organized Tet activities for employees with a total amount of about VND 33.6 billion.

Overcoming difficulties

Le Minh Hoang, Vice-Chairman of Tan Uyen city’s Labor Union said: "In 2023, due to the impact of the world’s economic situation, orders were decreased, so many enterprises in the area must lay off employees. Therefore, Trade Union activities in taking care of employees ‘lives sometimes encountered difficulties".

A worker receives a motorbike at the lucky draw program during the 2024 Tet (Lunar New Year) festival  organized by Tan Uyen city’s Labor Union

In the face of the situation, the city's Labor Union organized activities under the proposed plan while directing, guiding and supporting trade union locals and businesses to be proactive to coordinate with employers to carry out practical and effective material and spiritual care activities for trade unionists and employees. The executive boards of trade union locals deployed and coordinated with relevant units to synchronously organize appropriate solutions and methods. Particularly, trade union locals were proactive to propose and coordinate with business leaders to announce salary, bonus regimes and plans on Tet holiday for employees; supervised the settlement of salaries, allowances, bonuses... for employees.

Trade union locals also coordinated with employers to organize activities to care for employees ‘material and spiritual lives such as giving away bus and train tickets for needy employees to return home for Tet, visiting, offering Tet gifts, and organizing year-end parties, lucky draw programs...along with  many other meaningful activities to care for and attract employees to return to work on time after the Tet holiday.

“Thanks to the synchronous coordination of the proposed plan, by the end of the year, most businesses in the area did not owe their employees’ salaries. Every business had a 13th month salary bonus and higher for workers. The average bonus for foreign-invested enterprises was more than VND 6 million per worker. For non-State enterprises, the average bonus level was about VND 6 million per worker. Besides giving Tet gifts and bonuses, most businesses organized year-end parties, lucky draw programs and supported spring bus tickets. Particularly, many businesses organized buses to take and pick up workers back to their hometowns and return to production after Tet. Taking care of Tet for employees like that was successful beyond expectations", Mr. Hoang added.

Plentiful activities

Together with trade union locals, Tan Uyen city’s Labor Union organized many activities to support workers both physically and mentally during the past Tet holiday. They included the program "Tet Reunion, Spring Sharing", the "Trade Union Tet Market" session in the series of activities of the third "Bach Dang Grapefruit Fragrance" festival 2024. The program "Tet Reunion, Sharing Spring" took place at Bach Dang commune’s the Community Learning, Culture-Sports Center, attracting more than 2,000 attendees and viewers, with a number of main contents such as an art performance program in celebration of spring; giving gifts for needy workers staying in Binh Duong for Tet; giving train and bus tickets for Trade Union members and workers to return home for Tet; an awards ceremony and performance of the creative fashion competition themed "Joining hands to protect the environment"; a lucky draw program with many attractive gifts such as motorbikes, refrigerators, washing machines and televisions…

Meanwhile, the 2024 "Trade Union Tet Market" session attracted more than 3,000 visitors with 14 booths of 19 welfare units providing essential goods, services... sold at preferential prices that were 5% - 49% lower compared to the market ones. The free legal consultation booth attracted tens of trade unionists and workers. The two programs had a total cost of nearly VND 700 million, including more than VND 435 million from socialization.

Tan Uyen city’s Labor Union also directed trade union locals to review and take care of workers with difficult circumstances. As a result, 1,700 local workers received VND 1 million each from State budget. The city’s Labor Union also donated hundreds of gifts from the Trade Union's financial resources to cases hit by illness, labor accidents...; organized a spring bus trip to take workers home for Tet... All of the above activities were enthusiastically responded to and highly appreciated by workers. Nguyen Thi Thu Minh, a worker at Yei Jer Industrial Co., Ltd. in Thai Hoa ward shared: "The company where I work also has production difficulties, so at the end of the year, employees were rewarded with less than one month's salary. In return, many workers at the company were visited and given gifts by the city's Labor Union and authorities, so they felt warm. Especially this year, in the city, there were many activities to care for employees such as buying preferential products, having fun during Tet, creating a useful playground for everyone".

Luu Thi Tuyet Trinh, President of Tan Uyen city's Labor Union commented: "I feel very happy when trade union locals had good coordination with employers to organize many Tet care activities, especially salary and bonus issues in a difficult year. Trade union locals also quickly made a list of workers with difficult circumstances and the needs of workers staying in the locality for Tet so that the locality can take appropriate care activities."

Reported by Quang Tam-Van Dung-Translated by Kim Tin