Ms. Bui Thi Hoa is from Quan Hoa district (Thanh Hoa). Ms. Hoa is working as a garment worker in Nam Thang Long Industrial Park (Hanoi). On the occasion of the April 30 holiday, May 1 this year, Ms. Hoa decided not to return to her hometown but to stay in Hanoi.
"My company gives me a 3-day holiday but also has a notice that workers can register to work through the holiday to keep up with orders. After Tet, I took a leave of absence to take care of my family's affairs, so this time I decided not to return but to stay and work overtime," said Ms. Hoa.
According to Ms. Hoa, the distance from the rented house in Hanoi to her hometown is more than 170km. The basic fee for a bus ticket to and from also costs about 800,000 VND if booked for a convenient trip; if traveling by regular bus, it is about 550,000 VND. This is not a small amount of money for a single mother who has to help her grandparents raise a small child in the countryside like her. "Not to mention, I was often drunk on cars. If I can go home with my children for a few days but there are many vehicles and traffic jams, then the few days off work after the holidays will be very tiring," said Ms. Hoa.
In the city, Ms. Hoa made an appointment of her compatriots to the motel room to organize the festival. The group of friends also went to the inner city to go out to the park and visit the supermarket to "hunt" clothes discounted.
Also deciding not to return home for the holidays, Mr. Doan Van Hung (from Tan Son district, Phu Tho) stayed in Hanoi to take advantage of the completion of the mechanical project as proposed by the investor.
Mr. Hung and 2 compatriots opened a mechanical store in Bac Tu Liem district (Hanoi). Thanks to solid skills, affordable prices, and responsible work, Mr. Hung's mechanical workshop often does everything.
During the holiday, the investor of the mechanical project suggested that he work through the holiday, speeding up the progress to complete it as planned. In return, in addition to the payment according to the contract, Mr. Hung was also awarded an additional 3 million VND.
"My children next year will transfer, there are any additional amounts of that amount to take care of them. I decided not to go home this occasion, waiting for early June of the children to take a summer vacation, then pick up 3 children and children to Hanoi to play," Hung said.
According to Mr. Hung, the project is expected to be completed on Sunday, May 4. On Sunday evening, the group of workers in his shop will organize a party and pay the workers.
Away from home for 14 years to Hanoi as a mechanic, from working as a small shop, Hung said that he has been familiar with many holidays or not returning to his hometown, or he must go home late to ensure the progress of the project. In return, he will make up for his wife and children when orders are fluttered. In particular, every summer vacation he welcomed his wife and children to Hanoi to play so that the family was more cohesive.
Similar to Mr. Hung, Mr. Pham Chi Tai (from Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh) is currently a manager of a restaurant in Ha Dong district.
On April 30 and May 1 this year, Mr. Tai returned home a week early. For the reason, he stayed to manage the restaurant to ensure smooth operations. "I have been used to this for many years. I work as a service worker, accepting having to work on holidays, even working more than usual to meet customer needs. In return, these days we are often "rewarded" by generous customers, and sales increase, so the restaurant owner also rewards the brothers well enough," Mr. Tai shared.
According to Mr. Tai, employees who stay for the holiday will have a full day off on Monday, May 5. The entire group of employees had arranged a lunch party on May 5, in which the restaurant where Mr. Tai worked sponsored each person 200,000 VND for the party.
"We plan to gather at a colleague's house, go to the market to buy food to cook for themselves, which is both less expensive and safer. Everyone is excited because even though they stay to work overtime during the holidays, they all get the treatment they deserve, Mr. Tai happily said.
