Hanoi unions bring warm Tet gifts to support local workers and employees

THE HANOI TIMES — Attending the social program 2026 Tet Reunion – Spring of Gratitude to the Party 2026 at the Vietnam-Soviet Friendship Cultural Palace on February 8, Do Cong Lang smiled as he received a zero-cost gift package and a voucher worth VND500,000 (US$19.3).

The 29-year-old union member from Hanoi’s Chuong My Ward said he has bought household items, including a nonstick pan, fish cake and dried food, to help his wife prepare Tet (Lunar New Year) meals.

“Everyone who receives a gift feels happy. For me, it means a lot because I have worked at the company for only a few months and my income remains limited, so I took advantage of discounted items at the union Tet market,” he said.

Do Thi Thiem, who works in Quoc Oai Commune, is among workers facing hardship who received shopping vouchers and cash support from the union.

She has raised two children on her own. Ten days earlier, her eldest son died in a traffic accident. The union’s gift, she said, offers some comfort during Tet.

Nguyen Thi Phuong Anh, a janitor at Van Mieu Kindergarten and a union member from Dong Da Ward, carried several gift bags as she left the event.

She said her husband died early, leaving her to raise her children alone. For her, Tet has been a time of concern. The union’s annual gifts and shopping vouchers, she said, help her prepare for the holiday.

Dao Thi Van from Chuong My Ward and Nguyen Thi Thanh Tra from Cua Nam Ward said they were pleased to join activities showcasing traditional skills, including preparing five-fruit trays and wrapping banh chung.

“The program reflects long-standing cultural traditions. Despite busy schedules, people gather to share and create a warm Tet atmosphere,” Van said, adding that the activities strongly encourage union members.

The 2026 Tet Reunion – Spring of Gratitude to the Party program, organized by the Hanoi Labor Federation on February 7-8, marked a key effort in the capital’s Tet care activities for workers.

The program featured more than 70 stalls selling essential goods at discounted prices, distributed 3,600 shopping vouchers and provided many zero-cost gift packages, helping workers welcome Tet with improved morale.

At the event, 800 union members and workers facing special hardship received VND1 million ($38.6) each, along with Tet gifts and shopping vouchers.

Workers also joined traditional Tet activities, including chung cake wrapping, five-fruit tray displays, folk games and lucky draws.

As Hanoi prepared for Tet 2026, the city’s union system planned to deliver 83,000 Tet gift packages to workers in difficult circumstances and provide 5,500 transport tickets, including organized trips for 1,200 workers to return home.

The city labor federation also planned visits to encourage workers who continue working through the Tet holiday.

Extending Tet greetings to workers, Hanoi Party Secretary Nguyen Duy Ngoc said the city’s achievements in 2025 relied heavily on the sustained contributions of its workforce.

“You are the frontline force turning socio-economic goals into reality and helping Hanoi move confidently into a new era,” Ngoc said.

He said the Tet Reunion program carries significant social and political meaning and praised Hanoi unions for improving living conditions and safeguarding jobs and income.

Ngoc added that city unions have fulfilled their role in representing and protecting workers’ legitimate rights while building stable and progressive labor relations.

In 2026, he urged Hanoi unions to continue renewing activities and focus on protecting workers’ lawful rights and interests.

He called on unions to maintain post-Tet data on workers to assess support effectiveness, address prolonged hardship cases, stay close to workers, listen to their concerns and propose timely solutions.

Ngoc encouraged stronger communication to mobilize workers to support businesses through challenges, join productivity campaigns, promote innovation and contribute to sustainable development.

Festive Tet atmosphere reaches workers and union members

Over recent weeks, the 2026 Tet Reunion program took place across ward and commune unions, helping workers feel more secure and connected to their workplaces and communities.

At an event held on February 8 in Dan Phuong Commune, Chairwoman of the Hanoi People’s Council Phung Thi Hong Ha presented 455 gift packages worth more than VND450 million ($17,360) to local workers ahead of Tet.

The commune reviewed 1,470 hardship cases and distributed more than 1,000 gift packages to students, workers and disadvantaged households, with total funding exceeding VND1 billion ($38,600).

Dan Phuong Commune also provided 25 zero-cost bus tickets for migrant workers returning home and issued 200 shopping vouchers for Tet needs.

According to Nguyen Thi Thuy, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Dan Phuong Commune, more than 2,000 policy-beneficiary and vulnerable households receive regular support and timely assistance.

Local authorities mobilized social resources to build and repair four charity houses and four great-unity homes, while distributing aid to help residents stabilize their lives.

In Hoang Mai Ward, the Hanoi Labor Federation presented 540 gift packages, including 370 cash grants of VND1 million ($38.6) each and supported 10 workers with additional vouchers and zero-cost gift packages.

The federation also distributed 130 online shopping vouchers worth VND500,000 ($19.3) each and 70 vouchers for direct purchases at the Vietnam-Soviet Friendship Cultural Palace.

The Hoang Mai Ward Youth Union and the University of Technology and Management presented 15 gift packages worth VND1.3 million ($50) each to disadvantaged households.

They also provided 100 gift packages worth VND1.2 million ($46) each to families, union members and young people in need, along with 10 transport tickets for students to return home for Tet.

Nguyen Van Thang, President of the Hanoi Labor Federation, said providing support for workers in difficult circumstances is a top-priority task in addition to protecting their lawful rights and interests.

In 2025 alone, hundreds of thousands of union members and workers received assistance, with total resources amounting to hundreds of billions of dong, he said.

Union housing support, charity transport programs and timely Tet gifts have reached many workers in need, Thang added.

With the message that every worker deserves to enjoy Tet and no one should be left behind, the program has become an annual initiative with strong social value, he said.