Court orders migrant workers be paid
By Liu Li (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-06-22 14:36
A Beijing court ruled on Tuesday that a Shandong construction company must
pay the salaries of about 260 migrant workers who had worked at Beijing's No 5
Metro Line project for an entire year without getting a penny.
The salaries in default amounted to 900,000 yuan (US$112,500).
Construction of the metro line began in late 2002, and the line is expected
to be operational next July.
The Beijing Urban Construction Group was the constructor of the metro line,
but it contracted a section of the line to the Shandong Linyi Kanyuan
Construction Company.
The 260 farmers-turned-workers were sent by the Shandong company to work in
Beijing last June, but had never been paid.
"Our boss told us that the Beijing Urban Construction Group did not pay him
first," the farmer plaintiffs told the court.
The farmers sued both the Beijing and Shandong firms in the Beijing Xicheng
District People's Court.
The Shandong constructor admitted that the workers were its employees and
their salaries had not been paid. But a company source said the company had no
money to pay the workers because of a default from the Beijing company.
However, the court ruled that the Shandong company must pay their workers.
"The Beijing Urban Construction Group should also shoulder legal
responsibilities," the judgment for first instance said.
The court ordered the Shandong company to pay the delayed salaries three days
after the judgment becomes effective.
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