China's first legal aid initiative for protecting the rights of migrant workers was launched yesterday in Beijing with the injection of 1 million yuan (US$125,000) as preliminary funds.

It was jointly sponsored by China Legal Aid Foundation and All-China Lawyers Association.

The further funds needed are expected to be raised by the foundation and governments at various levels.

The initiative will help farmer-turned migrant workers solve major problems, such as payment defaults and workplace injury compensation claims through legal channels.

Yu Ning, director of the association, appealed to the lawyer circle across China to strengthen consciousness and input in helping and protecting the migrant workers' rights.

Currently, about 140 million migrant workers are seeking temporary jobs in cities, mostly in sectors of the toughest working conditions such as construction and factories.

However, many people's hard work has yet to be rewarded with wages due to the lack of legal support, said Yu.

The launch of the framework was also motivated by the successful experience of some local lawyer teams in Beijing, Hunan and Anhui provinces.

The only legal aid station in Beijing has received some 2,000 cases from migrant workers complaining about various kinds of unfair treatments since its launch in September last year.

Among them, 259 cases have undergone legal procedures, with 85 per cent relating to payment default.

The station has helped the workers to get back more than 2 million yuan (US$250,000) of wages owed to them with the intervention of courts.

Tong Lihua, chief lawyer at the station, said the more he worked in the field the more problems he found.

"As a lawyer, protecting public interest and the vulnerable groups is essential before taking others into consideration," he said.

His office has become a regular meeting place for the farmers working all-year-round in Beijing but receiving no pay.

(China Daily January 20, 2006)