At noon on May 1st, on the roads, motorbikes from An Giang, Dong Thap,... lined up to return to the city. On the bus were luggage and village gifts neatly tied behind. Many people took advantage of going early to avoid the crowd and have time to rest before returning to work.
Returning to her rented room after the holiday, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam - a worker working at Di An Industrial Park (Ho Chi Minh City) - said that this year, having many days off, she took the opportunity to visit her parents and have fun.
Staying in the countryside for a few days is very fun. I help my mother cook, clean the house, and then the whole family sits down to talk in the evening. Neighbors are also coming in large numbers, so the atmosphere is very bustling. Holidays are not going far, but being with loved ones is the happiest thing" - Ms. Tam said.
According to Ms. Tam, because she wants to save costs, she chooses a motorbike as a means of transportation. Even when the sun is harsh, she still tries to drive home early to clean up the rented room in the afternoon, prepare clothes and meals for tomorrow's work trip.
Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Minh Thuan - a worker at a business in Tra Noc Industrial Park - also just returned to Can Tho after a few days of returning to his maternal hometown in Dong Thap. He said that the past holidays were mainly spent resting after continuous overtime.
“In recent months, there have been many orders, so I've been changing shifts all the time. This holiday I made up for sleep, went fishing with friends, and went to the park with my family in the afternoon. Having time with my family makes me feel much healthier” - Mr. Thuan shared.
Mr. Thuan said that after the ceremony, the business enters the peak production stage, so workers all actively return early. Therefore, he chooses to ride a motorbike from early morning to avoid harsh sunlight and not be rushed by the schedule.
It takes a little effort to drive far, but it's more proactive than passenger cars, and it saves money. Having returned to my hometown for a few days, I've recharged my energy, now I'm going back to work again" - Mr. Thuan said.
According to records, in many boarding houses around Tra Noc Industrial Park in the afternoon of the same day, workers returned in increasing numbers. Some people took the opportunity to buy vegetables, fish, and food for the new week; others cleaned their rooms and washed clothes after many days of returning to their hometowns. The bustling atmosphere gradually returned after the quiet holidays.
Not only workers are busy returning to factories, many businesses in Can Tho are also proactively building holiday plans and restoring production immediately after the holidays.
Representatives of TKG Taekwang Can Tho Co., Ltd. said that the enterprise arranged a 4-day holiday schedule including April 26th, April 27th, April 30th and May 1st; workers returned to work from May 2nd. Depending on production needs, some departments are still arranged to work during holidays and receive salaries according to regulations.
Businesses also pay a bonus of 300,000 VND/person for qualified workers to encourage morale after the peak working period. During the break, departments are required to check machinery, arrange workplaces, turn off electrical equipment and strengthen fire prevention and fighting; security forces maintain regular inspections to ensure factory security.
For many workers far from home, holidays are a precious time to reunite with family, rest and regenerate labor. Although the journey back to work is still hard under the early-season heat, they are still busy on the road to be able to return to their familiar work cycle.
