Union Shelters help workers stabilize their lives

"When I have a house, I will take my children to live with me"

For the past 5 years, Ms. Chu Thi Hanh - a union member, a teacher at Huong Son Kindergarten (Lang Giang district, Bac Giang province) - has been able to live with peace of mind in the Trade Union Shelter house. "The new house has really changed the lives of the three mothers and children" - Ms. Hanh confided.

Previously, she had to pay 1 million VND per month for the house rental. Not wanting to live forever renting and far from children, in 2016, she borrowed 150 million VND from the bank and 150 million VND from her brother to buy a piece of land. Every month, she has to pay both principal and interest to the bank of 4 million VND. After buying the land, she did not have money to build a house.

In 2021, the grassroots union president, knowing her situation, proposed that she receive support for the Union Shelter under the province's program. She was supported with the Trade Union Shelter program of 30 million VND. With the support of the union, I boldly borrowed an additional 350 million VND, plus the savings to build a new house, said Ms. Hanh.

Ms. Hanh's Trade Union Shelter was built spaciously, with a usable area of nearly 100m2. At the end of 2021, right after the house was inaugurated, she took her two children to live with. "The children are very happy because their desire to be with their mother for so many years has come true. Now, the mother and child are very assured of living in the new house. I am very grateful to the Trade Union for timely support in the most difficult time" - Ms. Hanh shared.

Realizing a shelter

Most recently, at the launching ceremony of Workers' Month 2025 of the Bac Giang Provincial Federation of Labor, Ms. Tran Thi La (teacher at Bien Dong Primary School, Luc Ngan District) was one of the workers receiving support for the Trade Union Shelter with the amount of 40 million VND.

Ms. La is in a very difficult situation. Her husband was involved in a traffic accident and passed away in 2016. Since then, she has raised her two children alone. The parents and children live with their grandparents. Although he really wanted to build his own house, with a small income and having to raise 2 children to study, that dream has always been unfinished for many years.

When deciding to build her own house, she was supported by the Trade Union Shelter Fund with 40 million VND. She borrowed more than 500 million VND to build a house. Currently, her house is preparing to have a roof on the 2nd floor. The new house is expected to be inaugurated around September 2025. "The children are grown up, so they really need their own space. When we have our own house, my children and I will have a better life and feel more secure" - Ms. La shared.

With an income of about 14 million VND/month, the female union member spends it raising her children and paying off the house construction loan. Although there are still many hardships and difficulties, when she looks at the house, she feels very happy and secure. Ms. La is one of 7 union members who received support from the Trade Union Shelter Fund on April 24 at the launching ceremony of Workers' Month 2025 organized by the Bac Giang Provincial Federation of Labor.

During the ceremony, the Provincial Federation of Labor decided to donate the support fund of 235 million VND to 7 union members and workers in difficult circumstances in the province to build houses.

According to statistics from the Bac Giang Provincial Federation of Labor, since the "Union Shelter" Fund was launched, the Bac Giang Provincial Federation of Labor has supported nearly 500 union members and workers with a total amount of more than 14 billion VND. Many families of workers have moved to a new page thanks to the help from the Trade Union Shelter Fund of the Bac Giang Provincial Federation of Labor.

Read the original: here