HCM CITY — The HCM City People’s Committee has asked district people’s committees, departments and other agencies to ensure everyone has a “warm and sufficient Lunar Tết”, which falls on February 16.

The city’s Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs has plans to allocate nearly VNĐ1.3 trillion (US$57.2 million) from the city budget for these programmes. 

Trần Công Khanh, head of the labour affairs division at HCM City Export Processing Zones and Industrial Parks Authority (HEPZA), said that 400 enterprises in HCM City’s 15 industrial parks and export processing zones will spend more than VNĐ73 billion (US$3.2 million) for free tickets, gifts and year-end parties for poor workers, ethnic minorities, and workers at companies that have been closed because of bankruptcy or a slowdown in production.

Workers who cannot return to their hometown for Tết holiday will benefit from HEPZA and their company’s social welfare programme.

HEPZA has called for nearly 6,000 free bus tickets for workers who are trade union members and have financial difficulties, and want to return to their hometown for Tết but cannot afford to buy tickets.

Workers affected by floods and storms last year will be given priority to receive tickets on January 27.

Trade unions at the city’s industrial parks and export processing zones will present 3,000 gifts to workers who have lost jobs due to their company reducing or stopping production.

Enterprises and other agencies in the city’s industrial parks and export processing zones will organize a Spring Fair to help workers buy standard goods for Tết at proper prices.

The 400 enterprises unveiled bonuses for their employees, with the highest of VNĐ950 million awarded by a domestic company and VNĐ359 million by a foreign-invested company.

Most employees of all companies in the city’s industrial parks and export processing zones will receive one month salary as a bonus from VNĐ6.2 million each at domestic companies and VNĐ 7.8 million at foreign invested firms.

The city’s Women Union has plans to spend more than VNĐ2 billion for gifts for its poor members and ethnic minorities, poor residents on the country’s islands and those from other provinces who are not returning to their hometown for Tết holidays.

The Trade Union for the city’s Department of Education and Training this year has unveiled its welfare plan for teachers. Teachers whose wives or husbands have had a labour accident or have an incurable disease will be presented VNĐ500,000 each. — VNS