92% of labourers return to work after Tet
As of February 15, the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, about 92% of businesses and labourers had resumed operations and returned to work after the Tet holiday, heard a press conference held by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) on February 26.
The VGCL informed the press about activities in support of trade union members and labourers during the Tet festival, the biggest in a year, with priorities given to those in difficult circumstances, social policy beneficiaries and ethnic minorities, among others.
Localities and agencies reported that more than 10.5 million individuals benefited from such activities with total funding of over VND7.02 trillion (US$284.55 million), up 15% year-on-year.
According to Vu Thi Giang Huong, head of the VGCL's Communications and Education Department, a number of provincial and municipal trade unions received financial support from local authorities with the amount exceeding VND100 billion.
More than 18,000 Tet programmes were held on this occasion, attracting the participation of nearly 4 million trade union members and labourers, of them over 2.1 million presented with gifts worth nearly VND1.3 trillion.
Notably, over VND106 billion was earmarked to help 243,735 trade union members and labourers get train, coach and flight tickets to return home for Tet reunions.
All-level trade unions, agencies and enterprises jointly launched up to 5,049 free buses taking more than 170,150 labourers back to their homes, with funding of nearly VND49 billion.
Some 1,300 needy labourers who are working in southern localities received free two-way train and air tickets valued at over VND7 billion to return to their hometowns in the northern region.