At 1 p.m., Giao Hai fish market (Giao Thuy district, Nam Dinh province) is bustling. At this time, boats with full holds of fish race to dock, and it is also the time when people line up to wait for work on the shore.
After selecting enough goods, the traders put them in mesh bags weighing 20 - 30kg/bag and hire people to carry them to the goods gathering area.
Having earned a living by carrying shrimp and fish for hire at Giao Hai fish market for more than 30 years, Mr. Bui Van Tuan (50 years old, Giao Hai commune, Giao Thuy district) has become very proficient at this job that requires a lot of strength.
While carrying goods, Mr. Tuan said: "Each time I carry about 40 - 60kg, the employer pays me 10,000 - 15,000 VND/load. We carry the goods day and night, from 3am - 7am when the ship arrives at the dock and 1pm - 4pm in the afternoon. The more trips we make, the more money we will have."
Taking advantage of the opportunity to quickly carry a bag of mantis shrimp onto the car for customers, Mr. Mai Van Long (48 years old, Giao Long commune, Giao Thuy district) said: "This job does not discriminate by age, only requires labor, so most of the time it is men like me who work. To have money to take care of my family, no matter how hard it is, I still try to do it, sometimes my bones and joints ache, I still have to do it to keep customers. If I don't do this job at sea, what else can I do?"
Having just finished carrying the load for this owner, before he could rest, someone called, Mr. Long immediately rushed off. As the afternoon wore on, his strength grew weaker, there were many rough places, Mr. Long had to move slowly, making the load of shrimp and fish heavy.
At Giao Hai fishing port, there are thousands of boats catching different types of aquatic and seafood. As soon as the boat docks, the traders are already waiting at the water's edge to hunt for fresh products. Whenever shrimp and fish arrive at the port, the people who carry the goods for hire have a chance to earn money.
Although it is hard, this is a job that many people have been doing for decades to earn income, help them cover their living expenses, and take care of their children's education.
