Legal aid helps migrant worker obtain compensation

Wang, a farmer from East China's Jiangxi province, labored at a construction site in Hefei, capital of the adjacent province of Anhui, before accidentally breaking a bone in his right foot while working.

After paying the preliminary medical expenses for Wang, the labor contractor of the construction project refused to compensate for his injury despite Wang's multiple requests.

Given the impasse in his negotiation with the contractor, Wang turned to Anhui's legal aid services, hoping that legal specialists there could help him resolve the dispute.

After learning the whole story from Wang, the female lawyer who was on duty the day Wang visited the province's government service center patiently explained the laws and regulations involved to Wang and instructed him to report the incident to the labor supervision authority.

Unexpectedly, Wang returned to the center in dismay a few hours later, telling the lawyer that the authority reckoned that the incident was beyond the scope of labor disputes since Wang had passed 60 years of age. Therefore, it had no authority over the case.

The lawyer, while assuring Wang that the government always supports the interests of people in need, immediately called the contractor, warning him of his legal liability. Within half an hour after the call, the contractor appeared at the center.

The lawyer then started to elaborate on the legal relationship between the two sides and encourage them to settle the dispute through mediation.

As a result of the lawyer's relentless effort, the two sides reached a mediation agreement which stipulated that the contractor must pay Wang 33,800 yuan ($4,776) in compensation.

Witnessed by the lawyer, the contractor paid Wang the compensation in cash later in the day, putting the dispute to a successful end.