On the morning of February 10 (ie December 23rd of the lunar calendar) at Saigon station, many workers and laborers could not hide their emotions when holding in their hands the "Trade Union Train - Spring 2026" ticket awarded by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor to return to their hometown for Tet. For them, it is not only a means of transportation, but also an opportunity to reunite with their families after many years of having to celebrate Tet away from home due to tight incomes.
Mr. Le Xuan Thi (from Quang Ngai) said that he has been working in Ho Chi Minh City for three years, of which two consecutive years he did not have the conditions to return to his hometown for Tet.
Ticket prices during Tet are very high, some people have to accumulate two to three months' salary to buy a ticket. Receiving support tickets from the trade union, my family is very happy and happy, clearly feeling the care and sharing," Mr. Thi said.
Sharing the same feeling, Mr. Hoang Dinh Nhuan (from Nghe An) said that his family has four people returning to their hometown for Tet.
If you buy tickets yourself, each person will also spend more than 2 million VND, calculated as travel expenses for the whole family, it costs more than a month's salary. For workers like us, having this ticket is a lot of relieving the burden of spending," Mr. Nhuan shared.
According to Mr. Nhuan, the increasing cost of living in Ho Chi Minh City makes returning home for Tet a difficult problem.
During the Tet holiday, there is no salary, after Tet, I still have to worry about rent and money for my children to return to the city to study. Without this support, this year my family is still considering going home for Tet," Mr. Nhuan added.
Sharing about Tet care for workers, Mr. Bui Thanh Nhan - Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation expressed his respect and deep gratitude to the team of workers and laborers across the country who chose Ho Chi Minh City to work and live, and at the same time acknowledged the great contributions of the labor force to the city's development.
According to Mr. Bui Thanh Nhan, Ho Chi Minh City currently has more than 7 million workers working at factories and enterprises, of which more than 60% are workers far from home. The lives of workers far from home require many efforts and will, while high living costs force them to save and accumulate each expense.
Understanding this, Ho Chi Minh City leaders, the Ho Chi Minh City Fatherland Front and trade union organizations identified Tet care for union members and workers as a key program, implemented under the direction of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor and city leaders. Right from the merger in July 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City trade union has focused resources to care for Tet this year on a larger scale, for more union members.
According to Mr. Bui Thanh Nhan, on this occasion, the city also expands visiting activities at boarding houses, and at the same time implements a program to care for workers' children, especially children whose parents suffer from dangerous diseases, have serious work accidents or die due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These activities are not only carried out during Tet but are also maintained throughout the year.
With the motto "Tet comes to all union members and workers, not leaving anyone behind", the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation has selected and proposed that the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor support funding of more than 7 billion VND to support round-trip train tickets, bringing 2,293 union members and workers home to celebrate Tet in the northern provinces and cities. Trains depart from February 9 to 14, 2026 and return in the afternoon from February 20 to 24, 2026.
