The joy of waiting for the spring train

In addition to thoughtful Tet care activities organized for nearly 450,000 workers having difficult circumstances celebrating Tet holidays in Binh Duong, this year, Provincial Labor Confederation will donate 1,000 spring train tickets to workers, who are natives of Northern provinces and have not been able to return home to reunite with their families on Tet for many years. Workers who are natives of the Central, Western and Central Highlands provinces will be given thousands of spring bus tickets by unions at all levels.

The spring train support program for union members and workers returning home to celebrate Tet every year is always carried out thoughtfully by Binh Duong Trade Union levels.

Looking forward to the moment of boarding the train

In the last days of the year, factories in industrial zones and clusters in the province continuously turned on their lights, and workers worked hard to increase productivity. That is a good sign for workers after a period of lack of orders, reduced income, and sluggish working. Although the labor and employment situation this year faced many difficulties, during the traditional Tet holiday, everyone wants to return home to reunite with family and friends. Therefore, giving train and bus tickets at the end of the year for employees always receives special attention from trade unions in the province.

It has been four years since she did not afford returning home to celebrate Tet with her family. This year, Ngo Thi Hanh (native of Thanh Hoa province) burst into joy when she learned that she would receive spring train ticket from Grassroots Trade Union of Shyang Hung Cheng Co., Ltd. (Thuan An City). Hanh said: "In the past four years, I visited my hometown once, but not on Tet holidays. Workers' income is not much, and we have to pay for our children's education, rent, and living expenses. In recent years, businesses encountered epidemics and many difficulties in production, making workers' lives even harder. It cost tens of millions of VND to return to my hometown to celebrate Tet, which is a huge amount of money that not a worker can afford. I just wish every year I could return home to celebrate Tet like this year."

As for Mai Thi Thanh (native of Ha Nam province), who is a worker at Mekong Furniture Company (Thu Dau Mot City), shared with happiness: “Just mentioning the words "homecoming" makes me feel an indescribable sense of happiness, let alone returning home on Tet holiday. Because I don't have the conditions, I'm afraid that returning home will be expensive and I don't have enough money to spend, so I keep delaying until next year and then the year after. Now I will try to work harder, counting every day until I can step foot on the train to return home and reunite with my family."

Mentioning the spring train and the spring bus trip brings uo beautiful memories of workers from far away hometowns. For older people, on Tet holiday they long to return to their hometown to fully feel their homeland, where have many childhood memories. For young people, they wish to return to their parents, in the loving arms of their family. No matter who you are, wherever you are, the flavors of Tet, the New Year's Eve feast, rice cakes on New Year's Eve are imprinted in your mind.

Priority is given to workers having difficult circumstances

Like every year, this year's spring train ticket program is prioritized by trade unions at all levels to support workers who have not been able to return home for many years, are in difficult circumstances, and have had labor accidents or occupational diseases, good creative workers,... Thereby, this program demonstrates the role and function of trade unions in caring for, representing and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of workers. According to the set schedule, Binh Duong Trade Union's spring train will depart on February 4, 2024, from Binh Duong to Thanh Hoa and Hanoi stations.

Nguyen Hoang Bao Tran, Vice Chairwoman of Provincial Labor Confederation, said: “This year, from the proposal of the upper-level trade union, the Provincial Labor Confederation supported 1,000 spring train tickets for remote workers from Thanh Hoa to Hanoi (Northern provinces). Workers from the Central provinces flocked in, trade unions at all levels will use a part of the Tet funding for union members and workers to give spring bus tickets. It is expected that thousands of spring bus tickets will be supported by trade unions at all levels in the province to help workers return home to celebrate Tet. The number of workers who had received spring bus tickets has been reviewed, listed; a bid was organized to bring workers from the Western, Central and Central Highlands provinces back to their hometowns to celebrate Tet in the coming days."

Over the past month, the giving of Tet train and bus tickets has been carefully reviewed and listed by Labor Confederation of districts, towns, cities and trade unions of industrial zones and clusters in the province. Employees are just waiting for the day to board their train and bus. Doan Nam Le Thien, Vice Chairman of Labor Confederation of Di An City, said: “After two rounds of review, Di An City Labor Federation transferred the list of more than 400 union members and workers who received train tickets from Provincial Labor Federation. About 100 people in the city received bus tickets, because most workers from nearby provinces ride motorbikes back home to celebrate Tet, so there is not high demand."

Nguyen Van Duc, Chairman of VSIP Trade Union, said that the number of workers considered for spring train tickets by the VSIP Union is 150 people; bus tickets to provinces have been awarded to 850 people and bidding procedures have been completed...

While businesses are facing many difficulties in production and business, the spring train and spring bus programs that trade unions at all levels are implementing to support workers returning home celebrating Tet are very meaningful and highly humane. The program will also help workers have a long-term attachment to the second homeland Binh Duong where they have chosen to settle down.

According to Provincial Labor Confederation, during the 2024 Lunar New Year, there will be 420,000 to 450,000 workers staying in Binh Duong to welcome the new year. To take good care of union members and workers, Provincial People's Committee has increased the number of Tet gifts by 1,000 gifts (equivalent to 1 million VND/part) compared to Tet 2023 for workers having difficult circumstances staying in Binh Duong on Tet holidays.

Reported by Quang Tam - Translated by Ngoc Huynh