Warming the "heart" of needy laborers

Wherever hearing that there are trade unionists or workers with extremely difficult circumstances, provincial Trade Union officials will immediately visit and offer time help to these cases. They also sympathized and even shed tears many times in front of unlucky cases. The above actions, including the activities of provincial Labor Union’s "Supporting workers with extremely difficult circumstances" fund, have taken care of and shared very promptly and meaningfully with workers.

Hundreds of situations supported

Binh Duong is now home to 1.3 million workers, most of them are immigrants. In addition to a series of social welfare policies from the province, provincial trade unions at all levels have carried out many other meaningful activities to take care of workers ‘material and spiritual lives. In the 2018-2023 tenure, provincial trade unions at all levels have taken care of more than 5 million trade unionists and employees with an amount of more than VND 2.29 trillion, including VND300million from socialization. Especially, the "Supporting workers with extremely difficult circumstances" fund is one of the most meaningful caring and sharing activities with workers.

Nguyen Kim Loan, Chairwoman of provincial Labor Union visits, encourages and offers gifts to workers with difficult circumstances at Lam Viet Joint Stock Company in Tan Uyen city

Although there were many efforts in Trade Union activities, the number of workers with extremely difficult circumstances in the province is still very large and they need to receive support in the coming time. The recent Covid-19 pandemic has left serious consequences for many young children who have lost their parents. Provincial Trade Unions at all levels are making efforts to stand side by side with these cases, including mobilizing resources to strengthen the "Supporting workers with extremely difficult circumstances" fund.

The "Supporting workers with extremely difficult circumstances" fund was established by provincial Labor Union in 2020. The fund has a management council, with regulations for transparent and scientific use. This is a non-profit fund, focusing on supporting 4 groups of workers with extremely difficult circumstances in the province. Each case is supported from VND 4 million - VND10 million. So far, the fund has joined hands in supporting and visiting 911 cases with fatal diseases, labor accidents, occupational diseases and deaths, due to Covid-19 and other risky accidents, with a total amount of up to VND 8.3 billion.

Nguyen Hoang Bao Tran, Vice-Chairwoman of provincial Labor Union cum Director of provincial Fund "Supporting Workers with extremely difficult circumstances" said: "Over the past time, the fund's activities promptly encouraged and gave material and spiritual support for employees, helping them have more motivation to overcome difficulties, feel secure in living and working in Binh Duong. The province now has many difficult workers who need support in the coming time."

Trade Union officials’ enthusiasm and compassion for workers have caused many trade unionists and workers to burst into tears when receiving support. Hoang Thi Giang, a worker at Nitto Denko Co., Ltd. in Thuan An city, who was recently supported by the fund, shared: "In 2023, the company where I work also has had reduction in production orders. Therefore, workers face common difficulties. Before that, I unfortunately got a fatal illness, was hospitalized for a long time, spent a lot of money and had to borrow money for medical treatment. Provincial Trade Union supported VND10 million for me.  This was a large amount of money for my family. Besides material things, what touches me is Trade Union officials’ closeness, sharing and sympathy with difficult workers. The day I received the gift, I shed tears at the words of encouragement from leaders of provincial Labor Union".

Support from community needed

For the fund operating effectively and transparently, provincial Labor Union has closely coordinated with trade unions at all levels to carefully review each case in need of assistance, together with the efforts by Trade Union officials in providing timely assistance for workers. They have gone to every business, lodging facility, hospital and even travelled hundreds of kilometers to remote countryside to support and share difficulties with workers. Or during the recent Covid-19 pandemic, many localities in the province implemented "freeze and lockdown" measures to stamp out the pandemic, but the "Supporting Workers with Extremely Difficult Circumstances" fund still operated effectively. The fund gave timely support for many deaths, due the pandemic...

Over the past time, provincial trade unions at all levels carried out many practical activities to support workers with difficult circumstances

For the "Supporting Workers with Extremely Difficult Circumstances" fund further developing and maintaining operations in the coming time, provincial Labor Union has recently called for all trade unions, member, workers and donors in the province to further join hands to support the fund to be able to continue spreading humanity in caring for workers. Each employee only needs to pay VND 1,000 per month (equivalent to VND 12,000 per year), thereby promptly helping difficult cases.

And we are also very happy that the call for support just being issued in recent days has received the support of a large number of trade unionists, workers and trade union organizations across the province. Many trade unionists and workers contributed from a few hundred thousand to millions dong to the fund. Nguyen Huu Toan, a trade union official in Thu Dau Mot city’s Hiep Thanh ward has just contributed to the fund with an amount of more than 800,000 VND. He shared: “Workers have faced a lot of difficulties. Joining hands to support a meaningful and noble humanitarian activity like this is a must-do action for all of us, for those who want to build up a more and more prosperous and beautiful Binh Duong.

Reported by Quang Tam-Translated by Kim Tin