Govt aid in migrant salary conflicts (4)

Because the migrant workers are often on the move, getting involved in a lawsuit takes too much time, said Guo.

"Under most circumstances, negotiation works. But there has been a decline in people seeking help from us over this issue, mainly because more attention has been paid to the problem in recent years," said Guo.

However, Wang Cailiang, a lawyer at Beijing Cailiang Law Firm, said there has been a rise in lawsuits involving migrant workers and unpaid salaries in the last two years.

The salary problems are because on government-led projects, there are often delays in paying the government subcontractors, who then pass the delay onto the workers, he said.

"Most of the migrant workers I have represented do have a contract. It's difficult for those without one to get their [unpaid] salary," Wang Cailiang noted.