Still tired on a special day
Whether it is a normal day or a holiday, female environmental workers are still diligent in their work from early morning to late at night, without any work break.
On the occasion of October 20 this year, Ms. Do Thi Thu, an environmental sanitation worker working in Cau Giay ward (Hanoi), still started her shift from 5am to 4pm.
"After 20 years of working, I go to work every year on holidays, and the working hours have not changed. Seeing people wearing matching dresses to go out, I feel sad when I go to work, but I get used to doing a lot. Now if we take a day off, the city may be flooded with garbage, the work must be maintained regularly, Ms. Thu shared.
Like Ms. Thu, Ms. Trinh Minh Hien - an environmental sanitation worker with 25 years in the profession still works normally during holidays and Tet. Her shift lasted from about 4pm to 1am the next morning. When the streets are bustling and people flock to the streets to have fun, Ms. Hien still quietly pushes her car, collects each trash bag to keep the streets clean and neat.
Warming hearts with care and sharing
Despite the hard work and regular cleaning, on special days like October 20, Ms. Thu and Ms. Hien still feel the attention and encouragement of the unit. These are not just small rewards, but also great spiritual gifts, helping them feel appreciated.
According to Ms. Hien, on occasions like October 20, when working in the evening shift, she and her colleagues are often visited, given gifts, and shared some candy by the company's leaders to create a happy atmosphere.
"The encouragement of the company's leaders and the union organization has helped female environmental sanitation workers like us feel secure in our work, reducing the feeling of sadness during holidays and Tet," said Ms. Hien.
In addition, the amount of waste increases during the holidays due to more entertainment and dining activities, making their work more cumbersome. Therefore, during their holidays, female workers only hope that people will raise their awareness of maintaining public hygiene, not littering to reduce their burden.
Working night shifts on Huynh Thuc Khang street, Ms. Lai Thi Hai Yen shared that these days, garbage has increased sharply, especially from flowers, gifts and garbage from restaurants.
"We just hope that people will be more aware and not littered so that our work will be less difficult," Ms. Yen said.
