Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) As the 2026 Spring Festival approached, Ms. Lan, a migrant worker in the city, held a mediation agreement in her hand, feeling a great weight lifted from her shoulders. Due to long-term wage arrears, she had been anxious, but on the same day she sought help from the Baoji Municipal Labor and Personnel Dispute Arbitration Committee, a successful mediation was reached, and she received over 3,000 yuan in back wages. "Fortunately, labor arbitration supported me. Not only did I get my wages back, but I also felt respected and protected," she said, echoing the sentiments of many migrant workers.
It is reported that the difficulty for migrant workers in protecting their rights lies in "getting started." Lack of understanding of the arbitration process and incomplete documentation often deter migrant workers from even beginning their efforts to protect their rights. The Baoji Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, from the perspective of those seeking redress, restructured its acceptance system, launching a "element-based application + acceptance with incomplete documentation" model. Migrant workers seeking redress only need to provide core elements such as their name, the amount of unpaid wages, basic information about their employer, and preliminary evidence to have their cases filed, avoiding the need for repeated trips due to incomplete documentation.
It is understood that Baoji has 14 such specially established "fast-track courts for migrant worker wage disputes." These green channels provide migrant workers with "priority reception, priority case filing, and priority case assignment," allowing wage arrears disputes to enter the handling process as soon as possible and shortening the rights protection cycle from the source. In 2025, 63 migrant worker wage dispute cases were quickly handled through the fast-track courts, protecting the rights of 89 migrant workers.
Entering the "Three Officials and One Lawyer" studio in Chencang District, Baoji, the information of the stationed police officers, prosecutors, and judges is clearly marked on the wall. The mediator stationed there explained that the multi-departmental collaborative mediation model makes the mediation work more efficient. For example, in a case in November 2025, a company owed wages to eight migrant workers from Chongqing. The company's负责人 (responsible person) refused to appear, causing the mediation to reach a stalemate. Through the coordination of the police officers in the studio, the explanation of the law by the prosecutors, and the on-site guidance of the lawyers, the wages were fully paid in just two days.
The rapid mediation "firewall" not only extends throughout Baoji but also utilizes internet platforms to allow employers and employees to resolve disputes "without leaving their homes." In a wage dispute between a construction company in Fufeng County, Baoji, and four migrant workers, Ms. Zhang, the company's labor relations manager, reached a settlement agreement through the National Online Mediation Service Platform for Labor and Personnel Disputes. She said, "Using the online mediation platform, the mediator communicated with both sides, resolving the dispute without having to travel or waste time. It's truly time-saving and labor-saving."
It is reported that in 2025, Baoji mediated 665 cases through online platforms, accounting for 55% of the cases handled by mediation organizations at all levels. Over the past three years, a total of 2,305 dispute cases have been mediated, achieving the goal of "minor issues resolved within the enterprise, major issues resolved within the town/street, and conflicts not escalated to higher levels."
When labor arbitration is unavoidable, speed and quality become crucial tests. In response to wage disputes involving migrant workers, the Baoji Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau has implemented a rigid time limit management system: same-day case filing, service of process within 3 days, court hearing within 11 days, and case conclusion within 25 days. A responsibility system of "leadership supervision and presiding judge" has been implemented to drive improvements in arbitration efficiency. This "accelerated arbitration" not only allows migrant workers to experience the efficiency of their rights protection but also ensures that legal fairness and justice are promptly implemented.
Enterprises are the main parties involved in wage arrears disputes. Baoji has constructed a full-process service chain of "dispute resolution + standardized employment + employment promotion." Through a "one case, one document, one letter" system, while issuing legal documents, it provides parties with a labor rights protection guide, sends "Standardized Employment Reminder Letters" to high-risk enterprises, and shares information on enterprises violating labor laws with relevant functional departments. In recent years, Baoji has issued a total of 346 employment reminder letters and shared 321 pieces of information on enterprises violating social security laws.
While preventing wage arrears at the source, Baoji also connects the "Qin Yun Employment" comprehensive service platform with labor arbitration services for unemployed migrant workers involved in cases. Gao Qingmiao, director of the Baoji Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, said that resolving wage arrears is fundamental, but helping people find employment is the ultimate goal. Mediation and arbitration, in conjunction with public employment service agencies, proactively provide "one-stop" services such as employment consultation, career guidance, and job recommendations, and have already helped more than 200 unemployed workers involved in these cases find new jobs. (End)
