Abandoned textile mill workers receive back pay and resume production with court's help

Forty textile mill workers whose salaries were unpaid after the mill's Canadian owner fled abroad have received what they were owed, and the business has resumed production, the Fengxian District People's Court said yesterday.  

The textile mill's owner absconded after it ran out of money and several suppliers had sued the company earlier this year. The mill and its assets were seized for auction to compensate its workers. 

The workers, however, petitioned the court to allow the mill to resume production in an effort to get what they were owed. The court approved the petition after judges assessed the mill in June. The mill's suppliers agreed to the plan following a mediation session organised by the court.  

After resuming production, the mill became profitable and paid the workers with earnings of 680,000 yuan (US$102,761) in September and last month. 

The court and the mill are now working to expand the mill's production so as to clear its debts to its suppliers.

This case is among 3,259 cases involving pay owed to workers that the court has handled in the past two years. During this period, the court has disbursed 79 million yuan to workers who were owed their pay.

Last year, the court set up a special administration to enforce the law.

In the past two years, it has detained 137 people and levied sentences on five who refused to obey its ruling. 

More than 3,000 people who absconded have been placed on a blacklist, while 6,071 people were restricted in their spending.