These days, Thanh Hoa station is always bustling with trains arriving at the station, carrying many people back to their hometowns to celebrate Tet. Among them, there are many Union trains bringing union members and workers from far away provinces back to their hometowns.
Among the many workers in the southern provinces who return to their hometown in Thanh Hoa to celebrate Tet this time, some only have a few years, while others have up to a decade before they have the chance to return.
According to the workers, if they do not receive support from the Union at all levels and free train tickets, their return home for Tet may be delayed and they will have to wait until next year.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Dao (a worker in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province) said that thanks to the attention of the Dong Nai Provincial Trade Union and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, her family was supported with free train tickets (both round trip). The day she learned that she was supported with train tickets, her whole family burst into happiness.
"Without the practical support of giving train tickets, my family would not know when we would have the opportunity to return home for Tet, because the cost for each trip is very high, while my husband and I are both workers with low salaries. Fortunately, we are very grateful to the Trade Union at all levels," Ms. Dao shared.
According to Ms. Dao, after getting the train tickets, her whole family boarded the train leaving Dong Nai to return to her hometown Thanh Hoa. Before boarding the train, not only her but also many other union members' families were sent off at the train station by the Trade Union at all levels, given gifts and lucky money. After 2 days on the train, her whole family arrived in Thanh Hoa, ready to celebrate Tet with their relatives.
Like Ms. Nguyen Thi Dao, Ms. Do Thi Phu (a worker at Tae Kwang Vina Joint Stock Company in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province) could not hide her emotions when she was given free train tickets to go home with her two sons to celebrate Tet with her grandparents (in Xuan Hoa Commune, Tho Xuan District, Thanh Hoa Province).
Ms. Phu said that it has been 5 years since her family had the opportunity to return home for Tet, the reason being that the cost is very high compared to the salary of both husband and wife as workers. This year, the Trade Union at all levels gave free train tickets, so even though her husband was busy, she and her 2 children decided to return to her mother's hometown to celebrate Tet.
“For 5 years, the children have not been able to return home to celebrate Tet with their grandparents, this year is different. When they called home, the grandparents were very happy. When we got to the train station, my mother and I just wanted to go as fast as possible to return home to our family, as Tet is approaching,” Ms. Phu excitedly shared.
It is known that not only Ms. Dao and Ms. Phu's families but also many other union member families received support and free train tickets from the Trade Unions at all levels and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to return home for Tet. They all felt happy and joyful to return to their families for a reunion Tet, and then return to work, with a new mindset, at the beginning of Spring.
