A migrant worker going home for Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday on the free 'Train of Spring'. (Photo: VNA)OnJanuary 28, two ‘Trains of Spring’ carried a total of 138 people, includinglabourers together with their spouses and children, back to their hometowns inthe Central and Northern regions.
Theprogramme, which has been carried out for the past few years, is a practicaland meaningful action towards the migrant workers who cannot afford to go homefor the holiday.
Accordingto Huynh Van Tuan, president of the union for industrial parks and exportprocessing zones in the city, the initial plan was to transport 800 people(equivalent to 200 families) on these charity train rides.
However,the demand was lower than in the previous years due to the complicated COVID-19situation. There were also five other businesses and grassroots unions thathelped transport 600 people back to their hometowns.
“Inaddition to offering free train tickets for the workers to go home with theirfamilies for Tet, our federation oflabour also provides financial support of 200,000 VND (8.8 USD)," said Tuan.
“TheCEP (Capital Aid Fund for Employment of the Poor) also hands out face masks,hats and other necessities.”
TrinhThi Hanh from Thanh Hoa province felt touched and overjoyed with thesupport. She has been unable to work for three months due to theoutbreak in HCM City last year,
Hanhsaid: “I have been working in HCM City for the past 10 years, and go back homeevery Tet. My husband is returningwith me today, all of our children are still living in our hometown."
“Manypeople where I work don’t go home but stay in the city this year."
Theworkers who chose to stay back also received support from the unions. The HCMCity Federation of Labour especially offered 4,000 families free packages toĐầm Sen amusement park throughout the holiday, from January 29 to February 7,2022.
OnJanuary 27, the HCM City Communist Youth Union and Suntory PepsiCo VietnamBeverage also organised the programme MangTet ve nha (Bring Tet home) to help people from HCM City, DongNai and Binh Duong provinces to return home for Tet.
Atotal of 540 flight tickets, 325 train tickets, and 3,105 bus tickets(returning trips included) were handed out to people in need.
Earlieron January 23, more than 1000 students and workers were also offered free busrides home.
Thetrips were organised by the Communist Youth Union, Vietnam National Union ofStudents, and the student support centre in HCM City.
NguyenThi Hang Nga, a student of HCM City University of Agriculture and Forestry whowas going home in central Binh Dinh province, expressed her gratitude.
“Thereare many people who care and readily lend a hand to students,” she said.
Manymigrant labourers from the Central region were also given free bus tickets totheir hometowns.
Takinga step further, HCM City plans to coordinate with several provinces to help thestudents go back to their universities after the holiday. It is expected thatup to 1,500 students will return to the city on these bus rides when thepandemic situation is under control.
TheVietnam National Union of Students and the Vietnamese Student Development andSupport Centre also handed out 100 million VND (4,415 USD) in total to supportstudents in need in HCM City.
Thefree bus ride programme for the Lunar New Year now entered its twenty-firstyear of operation, having transported a total of nearly 57,000 people home forthe holiday.
Thelocal student support centre also plans to hold a gathering and handed outgifts for students who remain in the city, with 1,500 presents given tostudents of difficult circumstances affected by COVID-19./.
VNA
