Chinese procuratorates help workers recover 27m yuan of unpaid wages in Q1

BEIJING -- Procuratorial bodies across China have made headway in clearing wage arrears for workers, with over 27 million yuan (about $3.8 million) in unpaid wages recovered through case handling in the first quarter of this year, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said on Tuesday.

The SPP released eight typical cases handled by procuratorates to safeguard the lawful rights and interests of workers. These cases involve punishment for intentional wage defaults, prosecution in support of workers in difficulties, and public interest litigation.

Efforts have been made to ensure the timely and full payment of wages to rural migrant workers, said the SPP.

From January to March 2024, procuratorates nationwide accepted 799 criminal cases of wage default involving 936 individuals and filed public prosecutions in 222 such cases. A total of 264 suspects were arrested for refusing to pay wages and causing severe consequences, according to the SPP.

Public interest litigation has played an increasingly prominent role in workers' rights protection, with 161 public litigation cases in this field handled by procuratorates during the first three months, said the SPP.