The Shanghai Daily News reports that migrant workers have some hope to resolve their woes with free legal assistance in the northwestern city of Xi’an in Shaanxi Province.
Running with a budget of less than 7,000 yuan (US$972) per month, the Xi’an legal-aid station is hailed as a “beacon” for migrant workers by local media which have tracked the station since its formation last year. It is a joint effort by the United Nations Development Program and the All China Lawyers’ Association.
Migrant workers who number up to 200 million in China usually complain that employers pay them late or not at all, and of work-related injuries.
The station recently helped 41 construction workers fight to collect about 90,000 yuan, their half-year earnings for last year. “The work is tougher as they were employed indirectly through sub-contractors or, even worse, via oral promises,” said Zhao.
