Binh Duong: Migrant workers begin journeys home

Binh Duong (VNA) – Coaches carrying thousands of migrant workers home for the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday departed from the southern province of Binh Duong on early morning of February 4.

Provincial Party Committee Secretary Tran Van Nam arrived to bid farewell to the workers, wishing them a holiday of enjoyable family gatherings.

Nguyen Van Viet, an employee of the foreign-invested Wonderful Saigon Electrics company, said he is moved by the support he and his co-workers have received from local trade unions of different levels.

“This assistance has enabled us to access social housing, health services and training courses”, he added.

In recent years, workers have been assisted with free coach tickets to go back home for Tet, and everyone seems so pleased, shared Viet.

This year, the local labour confederation has sponsored 2,000 bus tickets for migrant labourers, while almost 100 businesses operating in the province have thus far organised vehicles to provide free rides to over 12,000 employees.

Binh Duong is now home to 26 industrial parks, covering a total area of 8,800 hectares. The average occupancy rate is 65 percent. A large number of workers in these industrial parks come from other provinces and cities, with some as far as the northern region.

The locality plans to lure 1.4 billion USD in FDI in 2016. It vowed to continue to improve the local business climate and its provincial Competitiveness Index by giving support to investors, stepping up administrative reforms and ensuring social welfare.-VNA