The All-China Federation of Trade Unions is promoting effective resolution of wage arrears issues and will implement joint punitive measures against entities with a record of wage defaults through multiple departments.
On December 6, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions announced that it has recently issued a notice titled “Notice on Carrying Out Winter Action to Address Wage Arrears” (hereinafter referred to as the “Notice”). This initiative will run until before the Spring Festival in 2025, in collaboration with the State Council’s Leading Group for Employment Promotion and Labor Protection. The action will be implemented across the national trade union system, focusing on the construction and public service sectors, ensuring the timely payment of wages to migrant workers and providing union support and assistance to those who have not received their wages, thereby effectively safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of migrant workers.
The “Notice” requires trade unions at all levels to actively promote the regularization of efforts to address wage arrears. They should promptly monitor and investigate leads related to wage arrears, ensuring that every verified case is addressed and followed up. A mechanism for publishing typical cases of wage arrears at the provincial level should be explored.
The “Notice” emphasizes that trade unions at all levels should actively cooperate in identifying risks and hidden dangers related to wage arrears. They should organize grassroots unions, especially at the county and township levels, to conduct comprehensive inspections of local enterprises as early as possible, encouraging these enterprises to prioritize wage payments in their expenditures. Trade unions should fully utilize their labor legal supervision functions, resolving wage arrears issues at the source by issuing “one letter and two documents.” They should proactively communicate with relevant government departments, dispatch capable personnel to participate in joint on-site inspections, and urge the government and state-owned enterprises to take the lead in ensuring the payment of wages to migrant workers. In collaboration with industry authorities, they should coordinate efforts to address both wage arrears for migrant workers and outstanding payments owed to enterprises, prioritizing the payment of wages to migrant workers. Joint efforts with judicial administrative agencies should be made to strengthen legal education and guidance for employers, implementing multi-departmental joint penalties for those who default on wages.
The “Notice” points out that trade unions at all levels should adhere to a classified approach to effectively resolve wage arrears issues. For different types of wage arrears, proactive negotiation and coordination should be undertaken, expediting case reviews and judgments, and providing legal consultation and assistance to help migrant workers recover their owed wages. The roles of labor dispute mediation committees, trade union labor legal supervision committees, and trade union legal aid lawyer teams should be fully utilized to actively promote the resolution of wage arrears issues.
The “Notice” requires trade unions at all levels to provide employment assistance and support for migrant workers who have not received their wages. They should ascertain the employment intentions of unemployed workers seeking wage recovery, offering services such as job placement and skills training to help them achieve employment as soon as possible. During warm-hearted initiatives, special attention should be given to workers who have not received their wages, ensuring their basic living needs are met. For those who meet the criteria for assistance for difficult workers, support should be provided to help them navigate through tough times.
