In recent years, authorities in China have taken some practical measures to help migrant workers receive compensation on time.

The amendment to the Criminal Law, which took effect on May 1, 2011, stipulates that employers who deliberately deny workers’ wages could face charges, and up to seven years in prison. And some local governments have made it mandatory for developers to deposit cash before starting a construction project so that the deposit could be used to finance workers’ wages in the case of failure to pay wages on time.

Labor authorities in Sichuan province helped 230,000 migrant workers recover wages totaling 1.6 billion yuan ($255.84 million) in 2014. A 24-hour telephone hotline was set up for any complaints about wage arrears.

In Beijing, labor authorities launched an overhaul of annual wage payments, ensuring 30,000 migrant workers were properly paid, with the amount of money recovered at 300 million yuan last year.