Supporting for laborers

There is a Vietnamese saying: “Bầu ơi thương lấy bí cùng. Tuy rằng khác giống nhưng chung một giàn”. (Meaning: Ethnic groups like winter melon and gourd that usually are grown on the same trellis though they're different species, so that, they must love and help each other).

Reps of trade union at all levels receive school bags from the Support Fund for Children.

It is the spirit of unity of people of Vietnam, saying that Vietnam is a unified country. Vietnamese people have recognized a common ancestor : Lac Long Quan, Au and the Hung Kings, they are not also the ancestors of the family but also the ancestor of a ethnic, a nation. Promoting the spirit, all level trade union across the province launches many significant activities and joins hands to take care of laborers.

At the “Blossoming Buds” scholarship granting ceremony jointly held by the provincial Labor Union, Home Credit Vietnam and the Institute for Educational Researches, we met Nguyen Thi Lan, employee of Nutifood Food Company in Ben Cat town and her daughter.

Amid the crowd of worker families, Lan and her daughter were considered a special case. Lan has suffered a cancer for many years but she is very optimistic. Lan shared “It takes much money for me to treat cancer. Over the past years, colleagues in my company help me to treat this disease”. Meanwhile, her daughter was awarded the “Blossoming buds” scholarship for worker families. Lan said “A bite to eat when hungry is comparable to a full golden gift when filled. The VND1mil scholarship is very significant for my daughter both in material and spirit. It encourages my spirit to try more. There are many good people around me”.

Over the past time, scholarship programs for poor laborers have been especially paid by trade union at all levels. Aside from 325 “Blossoming buds” scholarships (each worth VND1mil) funded by Home Credit Vietnam and the Institute for Educational Researches for workers’ kids under ages for kindergarten from industrial parks and export processing zones, the provincial trade union at all levels have many scholarship programs for needy laborers’ children.

In addition, CEP fund also granted 71 scholarships each worth VND700,000-2mil for needy pupils. In the early new school year, the Support Fund for Children and Vietnam Trade Union granted 500 school bags to local needy laborers’ children.

Truong Thi Bich Hanh, vice chairwoman of the provincial Labor Union said “Scholarships are considered as a great encouragement for needy worker families”. Apart from scholarship programs for needy workers’ kids, trade union at all levels set up the Mutual Assistance Fund to share timely with laborers. Typically, Binh Duong provincial Industrial Parks’ Trade Union, Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park’s Trade Union and so on established the mutual assistance fund.

At present, the fund has had more than VND 450mil. Dao Tran Dong, vice chairman of Binh Duong provincial Industrial Parks’ Trade Union said that most of laborers in Binh Duong province are from other provinces and cities, so their life faces many obstacles. In order to support these immigrant laborers, the Mutual Assistance Fund is established officially. Accordingly, Binh Duong provincial Industrial Parks’ Trade Union annually mobilizes laborers to contribute at least VND5,000 per capita per year to create capital for this fund.

Moreover, the Mutual Assistance Fund supports and holds many significant activities for laborers suffering labor accidents and difficult circumstances. Lastly, under assistance of the Support Fund for Children, reps of the provincial Labor Union granted significant gifts to poor worker families, each worth VND500,000.

Reported by T.Thao – Translated by A.C