Working-class families: Happiness and worries

A gathering of 77 couples.

To celebrate Vietnamese Family Day, Minh Anh Kim Lien Garment Joint Stock Company held the "MIAN Kim Lien Family Day 2026" event with the theme "Connecting Love - Partnering for Development".

The number is 77 married couples.WorkerThe fact that the couple are working together in the same company is an impressive statistic for this event. Recognizing this special bond, the management presented each couple with a gift worth 500,000 VND, as a wish for lasting happiness and a commitment to the company's growth.

Immediately following the solemn appreciation ceremony and the unique home-grown cultural performances, the atmosphere exploded with a series of lively mini-games. The most impressive performance in the mini-games was by the couple Mr. Ho Dinh Hung (Deputy Head of the Cutting Team) and Ms. Nguyen Thi Tinh (Head of the Sewing Line). Their understanding and seamless coordination in daily life were brought to the game, and they excellently won first prize.

The enduring bond of this veteran couple seems to always be accompanied by fortunate coincidences. Before winning first prize at the family day event with her husband, Ms. Tinh was the winner of the special prize – a motorbike – at the 2025 year-end party. Ms. Tinh confided: “My husband and I feel incredibly lucky and happy to work together at the same company. Events like this make employees even more committed to the business in the long term.” It is known that the couple met in Hanoi before deciding to move to Nghe An and choosing Minh Anh Kim Lien as their place of residence and work.

The program concluded with an emotional commemorative photo session and the awarding of lucky prizes. "MIAN Kim Lien Family Day 2026" was not only a relaxing event after hours of hard work, but more importantly, it strongly promoted the spirit of sharing, further motivating the staff to continue contributing and working together to build an increasingly united, strong, and successful work environment in the future.

“The company's leadership strongly supports programs like this. They understand that the sustainable development of a business is not only built on the efforts of each individual but also on the companionship and solid support from the families of each employee,” shared Mr. Phan Dinh Tai, Chairman of the Trade Union of Minh Anh Kim Lien Garment Joint Stock Company.

Behind the smiles

Behind the joy and laughter of the festival, the daily lives of families where both husband and wife are factory workers present a multifaceted picture, where happiness is always accompanied by worries about making ends meet.

Living together under one roof and sharing the same factory environment gives couples more opportunities to understand each other. Like the family of Mr. Hung and Ms. Tinh, with a combined income of around 28 million VND, they have carefully saved up to build their own house in their hometown.

"Up until now, I've only seen advantages in working for the same company, not difficulties or drawbacks. The advantage is that being in the same company allows for empathy and understanding of each other's work challenges, enabling us to offer encouragement and support... However, whether we work for the same company or not, I still believe that the key is empathy, love, and understanding for each other; only then will happiness be lasting," Ms. Tinh confided.

Also having "fallen in love at the factory," Pham Van Lam (born in 1988) and Dang Thi Huu Danh (born in 1991) have been working together at Minh Anh Kim Lien Garment Joint Stock Company for nearly 15 years. They go to work together during the day and return home together at night. Lam humorously shared their principle for keeping the spark alive: "In our work, our departments are interconnected, so there are disagreements. But we have a principle of reconciliation: whoever is wrong makes amends first. The most important thing is mutual understanding."

Besides maintaining their own happiness, working-class families need more than just support and companionship from society. As a member of the Trade Union Executive Committee, Mr. Lam has witnessed many difficult situations faced by working-class families within his company. He shared: “We are fortunate to be skilled workers with basic incomes that meet our needs. However, the lives of workers in general are mostly in a state of hardship and struggle to make ends meet. I have witnessed many couples arguing because their wages are insufficient to live on, and separating due to extreme difficulties. When misfortune strikes, they are almost unable to cope. For most workers who live far away, they have to leave for work at 6 am and return home at 8 pm, spending their entire day working, leaving them with very poor spiritual lives.”

Mr. Lam's perspective also reflects the sentiments of tens of thousands of workers who are waiting for policies to improve wages and for integrated facilities in industrial zones.

Among the 77 working couples at Minh Anh Kim Lien Garment Joint Stock Company, the circumstances of Ms. Nguyen Thi Bac (born in 1997, from Tan Ky) and Mr. Vi Van Phuc (born in 1993, from Que Phong) clearly illustrate their difficulties. Their 18m² rented room currently houses five people: two young children (3 years old and 7 months old) who are frequently ill, and an elderly father who recently underwent radiation therapy for stomach cancer.

With a combined monthly income of 20 million VND, Ms. Bac and Mr. Phuc struggle to make ends meet, paying for rent, food, diapers, formula, and medicine for the father. The young mother confided, "This is probably the most difficult period since we got married. That's why I couldn't attend the Family Day event organized by the company. However, the care and understanding of everyone has comforted me somewhat."

Eachworker's familyIt's a story, a mosaic of contrasting light and dark shades. In Nghe An's development plan, as factories and industrial zones expand, the number of "worker couples" will undoubtedly increase. They are the direct workforce driving the province's development. Therefore, in addition to the workers' own efforts, they desperately need support, attentive policies, and genuine care from all levels of government, relevant agencies, and businesses.

A proper home, a convenient preschool for their shifts, a living wage… these are essential elements for these “cells” to truly thrive. So that every time they leave the factory, they can return to a complete and peaceful home, nurturing the future generation with all the happiness they deserve.