Facing the heavy impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused many workers' lives to get into difficult circumstances, in the past few days, a series of life-care activities have been carried out by all levels of Binh Duong Provincial Trade Union to support union members and workers.
Provincial Trade Union officials do not mind hard work, day and night prepare necessities to provide to workers.
“VND0 market days”
In Di An City, the "VND0 market days" have become a great encouragement for workers who are isolated and in lockdown areas. Necessities are promptly delivered to workers. Pham The Hien, Chairman of Di An City Labor Confederation, said: “During peak days of the Covid-19, Di An city had many isolated and lockdown areas. Many workers in these areas have problems of accessing food and necessities. Di An City Labor Confederation, together with Military Command, Red Cross and some localities, implement a program of "VND0 market days" to provide food and essential items to needy workers”.
To implement this program, Di An City Labor Confederation and other agencies checked blockaded and isolated areas having workers in each ward, then called for organizations, businesses and philanthropists to donate clean vegetables, rice, cooking oil... As a result, four "VND0 market days" were held to support over 4,000 workers staying in local lodging houses with total expense of hundreds of millions of VND. Particularly, Labor Confederation of Di An City provided necessities for frontline forces to fight the pandemic and for workers affected by the disease, with a total expense of more than 1.5 billion VND.
Similarly, six "VND0 market days" were also organized by Phu Giao District Labor Confederation, Fatherland Front and mass organizations to supply essential goods. Thereby, promptly supported hundreds of disadvantaged workers in lodging houses. In addition, the district Labor Confederation also mobilized businesses and benefactors to directly give nearly 3 tons of rice, 500 boxes of instant noodles, vegetables, and porks to lodging houses. Nguyen Thi Nga, Chairwoman of Phu Giao District Labor Confederation, said: “Labor Confederation, mass organizations and local authority continue to mobilize supports for this program to timely take care of union members and workers. In particular, the district Labor Confederation cooperates with commune administrations to mobilize lodging house's owners to reduce the rent for workers.
Together with workers overcome the pandemic
In the past few days, day and night, provincial trade union officials have been working hard, yet all were happy and enthusiastically took care of workers and people. They arranged and put aside personal matters, received and unloaded necessities donated, arranged and distribute directly to workers in isolation and blockade areas in the province. Recently, provincial trade union officials transported rice, eggs, clean vegetables, milk, etc. to lodging houses in Binh Phuoc A quarter (Binh Chuan ward, Thuan An city) and Phu Tan ward (Thu Dau Mot City) to support hundreds of workers in isolation and lockdown areas.
Gai, a worker of Xu Huong Company, who lives in a lodging house in Binh Phuoc A quarter, said that from the end of July, her company had been temporarily closed due to the Covid-19. Therefore, her husband, youngest daughter and she, who are workers of the company, have to stop working without salary. Her first son, who is a worker of another company, is in a similar situation and has to stop his job. With no income, her family gets into a very difficult situation.
Gai said: “In nearly 2 months, many workers here have to stop their work. The owner of lodging house where they live understood their difficulties, decided to reduce the rent 200,000 VND/room, everyone was very happy. Then trade union officials came to their place and present necessities, helped alleviating difficulties and stabilizing the lives of workers. Now I just hope that the pandemic would go by quickly so that life could return to normalcy."
Provincial Labor Confederation and all-level trade unions in the province have continuously provided support for needy workers in isolation and blockade areas. As of mid-August, Provincial Labor Confederation received more than 260 tons of essential goods, rice, instant noodles, vegetables..., then gave to workers having difficult circumstances living in isolation, lockdown areas. In addition, provincial Labor Confederation supported 107,259 union members and workers, who were F0s and F1s in isolation or blockaded areas; supported 88 frontline units. Total support expenditure is nearly 78 billion VND, of which over 75 billion VND funded by trade union budget and 2.4 billion VND funded by socialization sources.
The Covid-19 is having a great impact and directly affects the lives of many union members and workers. With the role of a representative of workers, provincial trade unions have performed many key tasks; actively took care of union members and workers affected by the Covid-19 according to Decision No. 2606/QD-TLD dated May 19th 2021 of Vietnam General Confederation of Labor and Resolution No. 68/NQ-CP dated July 1st 2021 of the Government. Besides, trade unions at all levels stepped up propagation, communication so that union members and workers could understand and share the common tough situation, strictly comply with regulations on pandemic prevention and control as recommended by the health authority and local authorities. (Nguyễn Kim Loan, Chairwoman of Provincial Labor Confederation)
Reported by Do Trong - Translated by Ngoc Huynh
