Hundreds of poor labourers on February 7 boarded a North-South express train departing from Sai Gon Railway Station en route to their homes to reunite with their relatives for the lunar New Year holiday (Tet). 

This is a special train to take poor labourers to their homes from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. All the tickets are funded by the HCM City Trade Union. In the photo, poor labourers get Tet gifts and 2021 calendar from the Trade Union representatives.

Traveling from Binh Duong to HCM City at 04.00am, Truong Van Hoanh, a worker of Tico joint stock company, and his wife are moved to receive tickets to, Vinh city in central Vietnam. He says he has not returned to Vinh for family reunion for six consecutive years. In the photo, red envelops with lucky money inside are presented to poor workers’ children.

Four express trains carrying more than 1,000 poor workers depart from Saigon Railway Station on February 6-7. COVID-19 preventive measures are strengthened at the railway station.

Pham Chi Tam, vice president of the HCM City Trade Union, says the Trade Union has published an open letter on social media encouraging workers to fully follow preventive measures. Trade Union staff are on hand to assist the workers to carry their luggage to the train.

Meanwhile, the Trade Union in Da Nang city, central Vietnam, has arranged buses to transport approximately 3,000 workers to their homes for Tet.

These workers are poor and left stranded in the locality due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. On board the bus they are provided with meals, drinking water and Tet gifts free of charge.

Before boarding the bus, the workers are required to make a health declaration, have their body temperature checked, and wash hands with sanitizer.