To the high people's courts of all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, the Military Court of the People's Liberation Army, the Production and Construction Corps Sub-Court of the Higher People's Court of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region:
Recently, wage arrears for migrant workers have been triggering constant disturbances, and some even turned in to mass disturbances greatly impairing social stability. To bring the function of trials into full play, protect migrant workers' lawful rights and interests, and maintain social stability, we hereby issue the following urgent notice on further strengthening trials of disputes over migrant workers' wage arrears:
1. Having in-depth understanding of the significance of trials of disputes over wage arrears for migrant workers
(1) In the Certain Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Improving the Overall Planning for Urban and Rural Development and Further Solidifying the Foundation for Agricultural and Rural Development, issues related to migrant workers are incorporated into the big picture of the agricultural and rural development, and corresponding strategies are set forth. Improving rural livelihood, facilitating urbanization, further strengthening trials of disputes over wage arrears for migrant workers are the guidelines for people's courts to adhere to "three top priorities", and embodiments to fully improve the effectiveness and efficiency of "service for the overall situation and justice for the people". People's courts at all levels shall combine this work with the implementation of the guidelines of the national judicial teleconference, which will serve as the important contents of the three top priorities, and shall exert great efforts to deal with relevant cases.
2. Fully implementing relevant provisions of laws, administrative regulations and judicial interpretations, and adequately protecting migrant workers' lawful rights and interests in a timely manner
(2) With regard to cases involving disputes over migrant workers' wages or labor remunerations, and cases involving migrant worker labor disputes over property and payment, people's courts shall enhance the efficiency of judicial protection to accelerate the procedures for the case rapid filing, trial and closure, provided that the principle of justice shall prevail. With respect to cases satisfying the statutory requirements for advanced execution, ruling and advanced execution shall be conducted in a timely manner.
(3) For a migrant worker's petition for investigation and evidence collection, if it satisfies the statutory requirements, the relevant court shall actively conduct the investigation. Meanwhile, the court shall, in light of the capabilities of evidence adducing of both parties and their distances from the evidence and based on the principle of good will and impartialness, allocate the burden of proof to both parties, in an effort to realize due protection of lawful rights and interests of vulnerable groups, especially migrant workers.
(4) Intensifying measures to focus on the handling of cases involving outstanding payment for projects and wage arrears for migrant workers. For a case in the process of execution, the relevant people's court shall give priority thereto by designating personnel and allocating material resources to strengthen the execution thereof and shall enhance the measures for the execution thereof so as to ensure the rapid execution thereof in accordance with the law. The people's court shall deliberate on the strategies and explore various means and approaches to improve the efficiency of execution, and enhance the execution results, and shall endeavor to avoid triggering escalated contradictions and group appeal due to mistakes or inappropriate measures in its practice. The court shall implement provisions on the administration of payments and objects in a strict manner. With respect to payments and objects that have been fully executed, the court shall deliver the same to the petitioner for execution, and may not withhold or appropriate the same for any other use.
3. Intensifying support for judicial reparation and enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of judicial practice so as to facilitate migrant workers' filing of lawsuits
e. The Measures for the Payment of Litigation Costs shall be earnestly implemented, and with respect to migrant workers' petition for recovering wages consistent with the statutory requirements, formalities for reduction, exemption and deferring of their litigation costs and execution expenses shall be gone through, ensuring their opportunities of getting judicial relief and exercising litigious rights. The functions of timely, simple, convenient and rapid resolution of disputes through summary civil procedures shall be brought into full play, the application scope thereof shall be expanded in accordance with laws so as to realize the separation of simple and complex cases; the study and exploration of rapid judgment procedures shall be geared up, and the mechanism of rapid judgment of small-amount lawsuits shall be attempted in an effort to ratchet down the litigation costs, improve the litigation efficiency and protect migrant workers' lawful rights and interests in a timely manner.
4. Earnestly implementing the principle of mediation first and mediation and judgment combined
f. The concept that mediation is also an approach of law enforcement shall be firmly borne in mind. With regard to cases with a high chance of escalating contradictions, especially mass cases and sensitive cases, the top priority is to resolving social contradictions and maintaining social stability, so mediation and reconciliation are the first choices in closing the cases. With respect to cases for which mediation is not advisable or in which mediation fails, the combination of mediation and judgment shall be adopted so as to make a timely judgment and avoid impacting rural workers' basic livelihood due to the pending judgment.
5. Strengthening leadership to ensure effective and efficient execution of cases involving project payments and rural workers' wages in arrears
g. Leadership, supervision and urging shall be strengthened, and the functional role brought into full play so as to ensure effective dispatching and guidance for cases and practical protection of the parties' lawful rights and interests as well as social stability and solidarity.
h. Typical solutions or cases of all regions involving project payments and rural workers' wages in arrears shall be summarized in a timely manner to solidify and ratchet up the achievements, in hopes of creating a favorable public opinion environment by positive guidance and propaganda. Problems encountered shall be deliberated on earnestly. Relevant authorities shall be informed of by such means as judicial advice, should their assistance be needed. The system of complaint letters and visits shall be improved, ensuring advanced dissolution and timely resolution of mass visits or unexpected events.
6. Relying on the leadership of the CPC Committee and strengthening the communications with the Government and relevant authorities
i. The leading role of the Government in mitigating material risks shall be supported and a multi-layer and comprehensive mechanism for risk mitigation instituted to avoid risks spreading out of control by joint efforts. An unimpeded pre-warning system shall be established in order to ensure timely discovery of significant litigation-involving information; the guidance mechanism shall be improved so as to enhance the guidance for judgment on significant cases; and contingency plans shall be in place with a view to appropriately addressing sensitive and mass disputes.
With the arrival of the Spring Festival and the approach of the NPC and the CPPCC draw near, people's courts at all levels shall make deployments in accordance with this Notice. You shall promptly deliberate on new situations and problems encountered in judgment and execution and put forward countermeasures as soon as possible, and report to the Supreme People's court level-by-level in a timely manner, where necessary.
February 8, 2010
各省、自治区、直辖市高级人民法院，解放军军事法院，新疆维吾尔自治区高级人民法院生产建设兵团分院：
近期，因拖欠农民工工资引发的事件不断发生，有的甚至演变成群体性事件，严重影响社会稳定。为充分发挥审判职能作用，依法维护农民工合法权益，维护社会稳定大局，现就进一步加强拖欠农民工工资纠纷案件审判工作紧急通知如下：
一、深刻认识做好拖欠农民工工资纠纷案件审判工作的重要意义
1、《中共中央国务院关于加大统筹城乡发展力度进一步夯实农业农村发展基础的若干意见》将做好农民工工作纳入了农业农村工作全局，并作出了相应战略部署。着眼改善农村民生和推进城镇化发展，进一步加强拖欠农民工工资纠纷案件审判工作，是人民法院坚持“三个至上”工作指导思想，全面提升“为大局服务，为人民司法”工作质效的重要体现。各级人民法院要把此项工作与切实贯彻落实全国政法工作电视电话会议精神紧密结合起来，作为推进三项重点工作的重要内容，下大气力，妥善处理好相关案件。
二、全面落实有关法律、行政法规和司法解释的相关规定，充分及时保护农民工的合法权益
2、对案件事实清楚、法律关系明确的拖欠农民工工资或者劳务报酬纠纷，以及有财产给付内容的涉及农民工的劳动争议纠纷，要着力提高司法保护的效率，在确保公正的前提下，务必做到快立、快审、快结。符合先予执行法定条件的，应当及时裁定先予执行。
3、对农民工请求法院调查取证的申请，符合法定条件的，依法积极进行调查。同时根据双方当事人举证能力的强弱和距离证据的远近，根据诚实信用、公平原则合理分配举证责任，使农民工特别是弱势群体的合法权益得到应有的保护。
4、强化措施，集中开展拖欠工程款和农民工工资案件执行活动。对已经进入执行程序的案件，人民法院应当优先安排人力、物力，加大执行力度，强化执行措施，依法尽快执行。认真研究工作策略，积极探索灵活多样的方式、方法，提高执行效率，增强执行效果，坚决防止因工作失误、方法不当而引发矛盾激化、群体上访等问题。严格落实执行款、物管理的有关规定，对于执行到位的款项和物品，应当及时交付申请执行人，不得截留或挪作他用。
三、继续加大司法救助力度和提高司法效率，切实方便农民工当事人诉讼
5、认真贯彻《诉讼费用交纳办法》，对追索工资的农民工当事人所提出的申请，符合法定条件的，要积极为其办理诉讼费和执行费用的减、免、缓手续，确保其能够有机会获得司法救济，行使诉讼权利。充分发挥民事简易程序及时、简便、快捷解决纠纷的功能，依法扩大简易程序的适用范围，实现案件的繁简分流，加快研究和探索速裁程序制度，尝试小额诉讼案件的快速处理机制，降低诉讼成本、提高诉讼效率，及时保护农民工合法权益。
四、认真贯彻调解优先、调判结合的原则
6、牢固树立调解也是执法的观念，对矛盾激化可能性大的案件，尤其是群体性、敏感性案件，要着眼化解社会矛盾和维护社会稳定，尽可能多地适用调解、和解等方式，努力实现案结事了的目标。对不宜调解、调解不成的案件，要注意发挥调判结合优势，及时作出裁判，避免因案件久拖不决影响农民工当事人的基本生计。
五、加强组织领导，确保拖欠工程款和农民工工资案件执行工作取得实效
7、要切实加强组织领导和对下检查督促，充分发挥职能作用，搞好案件的调度和指导工作，确保把当事人的合法权益落到实处，维护安定团结的社会局面。
8、对于各地在执行拖欠工程款和农民工工资工作中的典型做法或案例，要及时予以总结，巩固和扩大工作成效，要加强正面引导和宣传，扩大声势，营造良好的舆论环境。对发现的有关问题，要认真总结分析，需要有关部门予以解决的，要通过司法建议等方式，及时向有关部门提出。进一步完善信访处理工作制度，确保在发生集体上访或者突发事件时，提前化解、及时处理、及时解决。
六、紧紧依靠党委领导，加强与政府及相关部门的沟通联系
9、支持政府在化解重大风险方面的主导地位，建立多层次、全方位的协同联动化解机制，形成合力，避免风险扩散和失控。建立畅通的预警机制，及时发现重大涉诉信息；完善指导机制，强化对重大案件的审判指导；健全应急预案，妥善化解敏感性和群体性纠纷。
春节已经到来，全国“两会”也即将召开，各级人民法院要按照本通知的要求，部署和开展好相关工作。对审判和执行工作中出现的新情况、新问题，要及时认真研究，尽早提出对策，必要时及时层报我院。
二○一○年二月八日
