How 62 workers got over $100,000 in unpaid wages in less than 48 hours

Editor's Note: CGTN presents "My City, My Say," a special series featuring real stories from cities across China, where everyday concerns meet practical solutions. Through video and storytelling, the series explores how 12345 service hotlines help people make their voices heard and how local communities turn public requests into concrete action, offering a glimpse into China's vision of the "people's city."

For 62 migrant workers in Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a long wait for their wages ended in less than 48 hours.

On June 15, the county's human resources and social security bureau received complaints through the 12345 public service hotline and from workers at a local renovation project. The workers, many of them from Fujian Province, said they had not been paid for months.

After an initial review, officials found that 62 workers were owed a total of 726,200 yuan (around $108,400).

With the workers eager to receive their wages and return home for the Dragon Boat Festival, local officials moved quickly. While some contacted the project owner to verify the situation, others worked with the contractor to check and calculate the outstanding wages.

By 5:10 p.m. on June 16, the full 726,200 yuan had been transferred to the workers' accounts, less than 48 hours after the complaints were received.

"The local human resources and social security bureau really stepped up and helped us coordinate the issue," worker Ji Yundian said. "By the following afternoon, all of our wages had been paid. A big thumbs-up to them!"

To express their appreciation, the workers later presented the bureau with a banner that read, "Upholding justice for wage claims, serving the people with sincerity and dedication." 

The case is a snapshot of how China's "swift response to public complaints" mechanism works at the local level: a complaint is not simply recorded, but followed through with coordination among relevant departments until a concrete problem is resolved.

For residents, that can mean something simple but important – being heard and seeing action follow. Such everyday cases also reflect the broader vision of a people's city, in which city governance starts with people's needs and aims to turn their concerns into practical improvements.

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