I arrived at the construction site of package XL01 of the North-South expressway project, Chi Thanh - Van Phong section, on a bright sunny day in early April. A spacious, well-designed administrative building appeared in the middle of the construction site, which was full of soil and rocks. The building's spacious design reflects investment in modern equipment, including offices, meeting rooms, kitchens, and self-contained living rooms. This place also has a mini soccer field and a miniature landscape area.

At 11:00 am, each group of workers walked back to the administration building to prepare for the meal that had been thoughtfully prepared in the cafeteria. I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Do Ngoc Kien - Head singer in charge of constructing the mechanical roof of Tuy An tunnel. Mr. Kien, who oversees 30 construction workers for the project, shared his satisfaction with the meal arrangements: "We have about 2 hours to "recharge" and rest before returning to the construction site at 1 pm. The menu changes regularly at each meal, the rice is delicious, the vegetables and meat are nutritious, ensuring our well-being and productivity."

Mr. Do Ngoc Kien - Tuy An tunnel construction shift leader (wearing gray clothes and a white hat) at the construction site of package XL01, Chi Thanh - Van Phong Expressway.

People who work in traffic construction are often called "construction workers." They are constantly concerned about living conditions every time they "join" a certain project. Mr. Kien has been a "construction worker" for 25 years.

He recalled many years in the profession before coming and sticking with DEOCA Group: "Back then, living in houses at construction sites were makeshift camps. Living conditions were poor. The sun was hot, the rain was leaky, and the wind blew into the sleeping area. Here, the accommodation area for officials and workers is clean and comfortable. In winter, there is hot water; in summer, there is air conditioning."

Mr. Truong Cong Dat - Director of the Executive Board of Package XL01 said that this package has more than 400 engineers and workers working at the construction site in 3 consecutive shifts. To ensure the quality of life for workers, the Board of Management has invested more than 8 billion VND to build an office and housing area on an area of about 10,000 m2 near the construction site and a sports field on the campus so employees have the opportunity to exercise and entertain after the working day. A modern water filtration system was also invested. Every quarter, state agencies inspect the water, filters are periodically replaced to ensure water quality for workers.

“Even though these costs are many times higher than the norms allowed by the state, the leaders of DEOCA Group still decided to follow the unit's general construction site standards so that workers have good living and professional conditions. Pay more attention to assigned tasks" Mr. Dat shared.

Construction of Km7 bridge on the route.

The operating building of the XL01 package is often where working groups of the Government and Ministry choose to hold meetings during site inspections of the Chi Thanh - Van Phong expressway project.

Project construction, especially underground works, is known to be heavy, requiring a lot of modern support equipment and the Board of Management's attention to the long-term health of workers. In addition to organizing periodic health checks for employees, the executive building is equipped with a medical cabinet. First aid training courses are also organized to foster knowledge and skills for employees in some health risk situations that may happen to themselves or their colleagues.

Spacious working and housing area of Package XL01 - Chi Thanh - Van Phong component project.

When asked about the salary and bonus regime and how the Group leaders constantly affirmed that they had "no salary debt" compared to reality, Mr. Kien smiled: "I have had a good, stable income and many kindnesses received in the past 4 years since working for this Group, not only in Chi Thanh—Van Phong, but before that in Thung Thi tunnel, Truong Vinh tunnel."

Construction in Tuy An tunnel.

Saying goodbye to Mr. Kien, passing the stone bench in front of the executive's porch, I saw Mr. Bui Hong Van sitting in his hand a cup of tea after the recent lunch. He is the leader of the drilling team constructing the Tuy An tunnel. Formerly a machine driver and then apprenticed as a tunnel driller, Mr. Van is one of the high-level technical workers working at DEOCA for nearly 7 years, with 3 years of celebrating Tet on the construction site.

“Everyone is excited to be with their families during Tet, but when urgent work needs to be done, we are willing to put aside our joy to "stick" to the construction site. Working on holidays has higher salaries and bonuses, and the leadership also organizes "Banh Chung" cooking and party meals to encourage the spirit of the brothers. Families in the countryside also feel secure when they know that their husband or children are cared for by the unit, their activities are guaranteed, and they have spacious accommodations," Mr. Van confided.

Mr. Bui Hong Van - Head of the Tuy An tunnel construction drilling team (person wearing a lemon yellow shirt) at the Tuy An tunnel construction site.

Talking about the reason for "keeping" him in DEOCA, Mr. Van said there are many "good things" here. When returning home during the Tet holidays, a car will be arranged to take you to your home. Excellent construction workers will also be given unexpected bonuses to encourage them. If they work hard at night, they will also receive a nightly meal to improve their health and participate in courses to improve their skills. But the thing he probably liked the most, repeated over and over again in the story that day, was: "There are many projects in DEOCA, and there's not enough work to do. He has never had to worry about "where to go, what to do to make money?" when a project is about to reach its destination. That's why, after so many years with the organization, Mr. Van has "conquered" many projects from Co Ma tunnel, Cu Mong tunnel, Bao Bien tunnel (Quang Ninh)... before coming to this Tuy An tunnel construction site.

Before leaving, I asked if he wished to send it to the unit's leaders. On his face, browned by the sun and wind at the construction site, a sincere smile shone: "As long as the company continues to develop, you guys have regular jobs. Working far away from home, every time I come home, I can tell my family what I've accomplished on big projects, and receive good care and treatment, so I'm happy."

Once, former Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho - who had closely followed the North-South Expressway Project phase 1 and many key transport projects for a long time - expressed his impression of how work was organized, arranged professional and methodical accommodation for DEOCA Group's workers, even though this unit's construction sites are always in remote areas.

I have known not only Mr. Kien or Mr. Van but many people in Chi Thanh - Van Phong since the days when the Bac Giang - Lang Son expressway, Hai Van 2 tunnel, and Love Bridge were busy construction sites with sandy and rocky surfaces. Later, maybe we will meet again on other "front lines" that DEOCA pioneered and paved the way, continuing to tell stories about DEOCA's servants.

BY NGOC TRANG