2020 was an incredibly tough and challenging year for businesses in Da Nang, and Viet Nam at large, heavily burdened by the Covid-19 crisis and natural disasters. The unexpected situations negatively affected workers working for companies operating in Da Nang.

Data published by Da Nang Department of Labout, War Invalids and Social Affairs show that, as a result of the global coronavirus crisis, over 20,600 employees had their labour contracts terminated, 70,120 were laid off without severance pay or other benefits provided by their employers, and 99,280 were temporarily out of work.

Poor workers in Da Nang taking on free-of-charge vehicles to come back to their hometown to celebrate Tet 2020 with their families.

With tourism as the hardest hit sector, more than 154,000 employees of 2,446 tourism businesses and tourism service providers across Da Nang had their working hours reduced, and experienced pay cuts or even long-term unemployment, in 2020.

Dinh Thi Ta, a worker at the Da Nang-based Daiwa Vietnam Co., Ltd, is among thousands of employees in Da Nang severely affected by the Covid-19 epidemic.

Mrs Ta is now shouldering the full burden of raising two children congenital health problems as her husband has lost his job due to Covid-19.

“My salary was cut, and I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel as I constantly feel a sense of crisis that I might fall back into poverty” Mrs Ta said in tears.

In an effort to support affected workers, the Da Nang Labour Union plans to launch the ‘Warm Tet’ campaign to help poor workers in the city enjoy a warm and happy Tet.

Close to 5 billion VND in funding from Da Nang authorities will be used to provide Tet gifts of cash and in-kind support to workers in difficult circumstances.

Also, ‘zero-VND’ markets will be organised for workers, whilst free of charge coaches will be used to bring thousands of migrant poor workers back to their hometowns to celebrate Tet with their families.

By HVM, NGOC YEN - Translated by M.D