Ensuring all union members and workers have a happy  Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year (Year of the Fire Horse) in 2026 is approaching, and trade unions at all levels in Dong Nai are urgently rolling out plans to ensure a meaningful and comprehensive Tet for workers. The overarching and deeply meaningful goal is clear: "No union member or worker should be left without a Lunar New Year (Tet)." This direction is not just a slogan, but a firm commitment, a demonstration of responsibility and solidarity to support workers through difficult times, helping them welcome a Tet that is full, warm, and complete.

Permanent Vice President of Dong Nai Provincial Labor Federation, Bui Thi Bich Thuy. Photo Nguyen Hoa

Speaking to Dong Nai Newspaper, Radio and Television, Bui Thi Bich Thuy, Permanent Vice President of the Dong Nai Federation of Labor, stated that the province’s trade unions are focusing their resources on ensuring a warm and joyful Tet for union members and workers. These efforts help motivate workers, foster long-term commitment, improve productivity, and lay the foundation for a prosperous and healthy Tet.

Diverse activities to support Union members and workers during Tet

Dong Nai is a province with numerous industrial zones and a large workforce employed in various enterprises. How has the Dong Nai Provincial Labor Federation implemented its plans to provide meaningful Tet support for union members and workers?

- Following the provincial merger, Dong Nai currently has 2,324 grassroots trade unions, with nearly 750,000 union members. In accordance with Plan No. 34/KH-TLĐ issued by the Presidium of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour on organizing activities to support union members and workers during the 2026 Lunar New Year (Year of the Fire Horse), the Standing Committee of the Dong Nai Federation of Labor has implemented and concretized the plan’s contents across all affiliated grassroots trade unions. The implementation is carried out at two levels: provincial federations and grassroots unions, ensuring a coordinated, flexible, and diverse approach that pays special attention to members and workers in genuine difficulty.

Dong Nai trade unions mobilize resources from units, enterprises, benefactors, and especially employers to provide practical support for union members and workers. For enterprises with special requirements, where members and workers must work through Tet, the unions proactively coordinate and negotiate with employers to provide appropriate rewards based on practical conditions, while organizing festive activities, Tet visits, gift-giving, and "lucky money" in accordance with traditional customs.

These Tet care activities, organized by trade unions, aim to create a joyful and warm atmosphere during the Lunar New Year, reinforcing workers’ trust in the leadership of the Party and the State, and strengthening their attachment to the union. At the same time, they motivate members and workers to maintain productivity, quality, and efficiency while continuing to collaborate with enterprises. Practical and timely support from the unions serves as an essential pillar, reinforcing trust and building a strong bond between workers, enterprises, and the trade union organization.

What are the highlights of Tet support activities for union members and workers in Dong Nai?

- The Dong Nai Provincial Federation of Labor is focusing on five main activities to support union members and workers during Tet. These include: organizing the Tet Reunion programme; holding festive activities, visits, gift-giving, and Tet greetings for members and workers; the Workers’ Family Gathering program; providing transportation for members to return home for Tet and back to work; and the online Trade Union Tet Market Program 2026.

For the Tet Reunion programme, depending on the conditions of each unit, the unions organize cultural, artistic, and sports activities, gatherings, exchanges, and lucky draws at industrial zones, worker dormitories, and enterprises, ensuring that all members and workers can celebrate Tet in a joyful and warm atmosphere. The provincial federation plans to support over 74,000 gift packages for members and workers in difficult circumstances, each valued at 1 million VND in cash. According to the plan, these gifts will be distributed to grassroots unions for direct handover to members and workers in need.

Trade unions at all levels also organize visits, encouragement, and gifts for members and workers, prioritizing those with difficult circumstances, low income, serious illnesses, occupational diseases, work accidents, unemployment, unpaid wages, or Tet bonuses, as well as members and workers from policy families who have been unable to return home for Tet for many years. In particular, the online Trade Union Tet Market Program 2026, organized by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, provides 9,300 vouchers worth 500,000 VND each for union members to purchase goods through the program.

Bringing a warm and joyful spring to workers

The “Reunion Tet Bus – Spring 2026” program of the Dong Nai Provincial Federation of Labor is a highly meaningful activity. This program is also eagerly anticipated by many union members. Could you share more details about this practical initiative?

- The “Reunion Tet Bus – Spring 2026” program, which transports union members and workers back to their hometowns for Tet and returns them to work afterward, provides many workers with the opportunity to celebrate the holiday with their families. For the Year of the Fire Horse in 2026, the provincial federation plans to provide 2,200 bus tickets for workers returning home. The beneficiaries are union members and workers employed in units and enterprises in Dong Nai who have contributed union fees before October 31, 2025, comply with the Party’s guidelines and State policies, actively participate in union activities, and are either in difficult circumstances or have received recognition, certificates, or awards from grassroots unions or the provincial federation between 2023 and 2025. The bus trips are scheduled from February 11 to 14, 2026.

In addition, with support from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, Dong Nai has been allocated 450 train tickets and 120 airplane tickets to transport union members and workers home for the Tet holiday. Before departure, representatives from the General Confederation of Labor and the Dong Nai Provincial Federation of Labor will personally meet with the workers, present gifts, and extend Tet greetings.

Permanent Vice President of the Dong Nai Provincial Federation of Labor, Bui Thi Bich Thuy, sees off workers’ families returning home for Tet 2025. Photo: Nguyen Hoa

Alongside Tet support activities, wages and bonuses are always a significant concern for union members and workers. How has the provincial federation played its role in negotiating these benefits to ensure workers’ rights?

- To ensure fair wages and bonuses for union members and workers and to build harmonious and stable labor relations during the year-end period, the Standing Committee of the Dong Nai Provincial Federation of Labor has directed all levels of trade unions, especially grassroots unions, to proactively understand the sentiments and aspirations of members and workers and propose topics for dialogue and collective bargaining on issues of concern. Specifically, this includes wage increases, Tet bonuses, Tet holiday plans, union and employer care activities for Tet, and timely notification of the company’s holiday schedule and bonus policies.

The tireless efforts of trade unions at all levels in caring for union members and workers during Tet not only demonstrate responsibility but also reflect a deeply humanitarian spirit. It is timely companionship and sharing, serving as a solid spiritual support that helps workers feel the union's concern and care.

The Dong Nai Provincial Federation of Labour also actively collaborates with relevant departments and agencies to monitor employers’ implementation of wage and bonus payments, ensure timely notification of holiday schedules to union members and workers, and quickly address issues to safeguard workers’ rights in enterprises experiencing difficulties, wage arrears, abandonment, dissolution, or bankruptcy. These actions help stabilize labor relations during the Tet holiday.

 Thank you very much!

By Nguyen Hoa – Translated by Hong Van, Minho