The proper handling of the migrant workers' back payment has a direct bearing on our efforts to build a harmonious society, says an article in People's Daily. An excerpt follows:

A group of 40 migrant construction workers in Xi'an, capital city of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, recently held a press conference where they said they were owed 800,000 yuan (US$98,650), which has been overdue for more than a year.

They said they have sought help from many government agencies over the past six months, but have failed to get a clear-cut response.

Finally the workers decided to turn to the media, hoping that publicizing their plight will make the back payment dispute easier to settle.

Migrant workers being denied their wages has become a major social scandal in recent years.

It was highlighted two years ago when Premier Wen Jiabao personally intervened to solve a back payment dispute on behalf of a migrant worker in Chongqing, a municipality in Southwest China. The episode instantly ignited a nationwide campaign to support migrant workers demanding overdue payment.

Although since then governments at all levels and society as a whole have paid increasing attention, the disgraceful practice has not been stamped out.

In some places disgruntled migrant workers have resorted to extreme methods such as living in construction sites, blocking employers' homes or even threatening to commit suicide, all to try to get their hands on money they have legally earned. Such acts are often of no consequence.

Why not turn to the courts, some say. But the complicated procedures and time-consuming legal process make this an impractical route.

Failure to protect migrant workers demonstrates that our interests and rights protection mechanism is not working well, and relevant government departments are inept at carrying out their duties, which are damaging the push for social justice.

Migrant workers must be paid as soon as possible to mend this tear in the social fabric.

(China Daily August 19, 2005)