Me! A disgraced celebrity! Starting by seeking justice for impoverished students.

In the deliberation room, three case files were laid out in the center of a long table, and three arbitrators sat around them.

The door was tightly closed, and the only sound was the scratching of a pen tip across the paper.

Arbitrator Zhao Tao finished flipping through the last page of evidence, looked up and spoke, his tone somewhat conservative: "Let me first share my views."

"The contract was signed by both parties in black and white. It's an old practice in the construction industry to settle wages at the end of the year. Although the regulations require monthly settlement, the actual situation in the industry is what it is."

"And then there's the issue of workplace injuries. Workers have been doing this for so many years, and if they don't wear safety harnesses, they bear some responsibility."

"The applicant is asking for over 1.3 million yuan and 25% punitive damages. I think that's a bit too much, and there's no need to support it all."

As soon as he finished speaking, the arbitrator Li Mei next to him immediately shook her head.

"Old Zhao, you're being a bit biased towards the business side here."

"This is a typical standard contract trap, deliberately designed to harm people who don't understand the law."

"And then there's the safety issue. The safety inspection report from the bureau is right there; there weren't even guardrails installed along the edges, and safety nets were missing. That's the main cause of the accident!"

"The worker's slight negligence does not affect the determination of work-related injury, nor can it be used as a reason for the company to be exempt from liability."

"The company has been withholding wages for over half a year. The workers' families are relying on the money for medical treatment and to support their families. The company is dragging its feet on paying them. Shouldn't they be given compensation?"

"I think the applicant's requests are mostly reasonable and should be supported!"

The two have conflicting accounts.

One side stands on the perspective of corporate compliance and industry practices, while the other stands on the perspective of workers' rights and the protection of vulnerable groups. Neither side can convince the other.

Then, both men looked at Wang Jianguo, the chief arbitrator, who was sitting in the main seat.

Wang Jianguo tapped the case file lightly with his fingertips, pondered for a moment, and then slowly spoke.

"What you both said makes sense, but it's a bit off-topic."

"First of all, the fundamental principles cannot be wrong. The 'Regulations on Guaranteeing the Payment of Wages to Migrant Workers' is an administrative regulation and a mandatory provision. Regardless of whether the annual settlement clause in the contract is an industry practice or not, if it is illegal, it is illegal and will definitely be invalid."

"The fact that wages are owed is clear, and the principal amount of wages must be paid in full. There is no room for negotiation on this."

"Regarding work-related injuries, no-fault liability is the law, the company's failure in safety management is undeniable, and the work-related injury benefits that are due must be provided."

These words are more in line with Li Mei's thoughts.

But Wang Jianguo changed the subject.

"However, it is an objective reality that the payment cycle for construction projects is long. Although Pei Group is delaying payment, it is not entirely out of the question. There are objective factors related to the industry cycle, so it cannot be considered 'malicious withholding' to the extent of the maximum penalty."

"And the workers themselves didn't read the contents of the contract when they signed it, so they were also somewhat negligent."

"My opinion is: full support should be given for actual expenses such as principal wages, medical expenses for work-related injuries, and wages during the period of work stoppage."

"The 25% severance pay for unpaid wages will be reduced to 15% at the discretion of the court. The statutory portion of the severance pay for termination of the labor contract, calculated based on the length of service, will remain unchanged, but additional punitive portions will not be supported."

"In total, the amount deducted is over 60,000 yuan."

"It upholds the bottom line of the law while also taking into account the realities of the industry, making it acceptable to both sides!"

After Wang Jianguo finished speaking, he looked at the two of them.

What do you think?

Zhao Tao thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay, this is a suitable level."

Li Mei nodded slightly: "That's fine, the major profits are saved, so it's not like the workers have been wronged!"

The three reached a consensus, and the evaluation result was finalized.

……

An hour later, the arbitration tribunal reconvened.

Everyone took their seats in turn, and all eyes were focused on the judge's bench, the air thick with tension.

Pei Zhenbang sat upright, his face showing a hint of arrogance, as if he was certain he wouldn't lose by much.

The workers leaned forward, their palms sweating.

Compared to them, Jiang Chen remained calm, his fingertips lightly resting on the table.

The chief arbitrator picked up the award, cleared his throat, and read it aloud.

"The Xucheng District Labor and Personnel Dispute Arbitration Committee, after deliberation by the collegial panel, has rendered the following ruling in accordance with the law regarding the labor dispute case between Lin Jianguo and twelve others and Pei's Construction Engineering Co., Ltd."

"1. It is confirmed that there is an employment relationship between the twelve applicants and the respondent. The respondent shall pay the twelve applicants a total of RMB586,000 in back wages within fifteen days from the date this ruling takes effect."

"Second, the respondent shall pay the twelve applicants RMB 87,900 in economic compensation for the unpaid wages within fifteen days from the date this ruling becomes effective."

"Third, it is confirmed that the injury suffered by the applicant, Lin Jianguo, is a work-related injury. The respondent shall, within fifteen days from the date this ruling takes effect, pay Lin Jianguo a total of RMB 83,000 for medical expenses, wages during the period of work stoppage, nursing expenses, and hospitalization meal allowance."

"As for the one-time disability compensation, one-time work-related injury medical subsidy, and one-time disability employment subsidy, the applicant may claim them separately after the work capacity disability assessment is completed."

"IV. It is confirmed that the twelve applicants have terminated their labor relations with the respondent. The respondent shall pay a total of RMB362,000 in economic compensation for the termination of the labor contracts within fifteen days from the date this ruling takes effect."

"The total amount of the above items is one million,118,900 yuan."

"The applicant's other arbitration claims are dismissed!"

After the verdict was read, the entire room fell silent for a moment, then began to murmur.

The workers pooled their money and calculated that although it was about 200,000 yuan less than what they had initially demanded, their wages were still the same.

They received the bulk of the work injury compensation and economic compensation.

Everyone looked relieved.

"Okay! It's good enough to get this much!"

"Exactly, I was just hoping to get my wages back."

Lin Xiaoyu also breathed a long sigh of relief, looked at Jiang Chen, her eyes full of gratitude.

Jiang Chen nodded slightly.

This result was within his expectations.

The disability portion of a work-related injury should be claimed only after an assessment, and a 25% reduction in compensation is within reasonable discretionary limits.

Overall, it's already a very good result.

When Pei Zhenbang heard the amount of compensation, he was stunned for a moment, then slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, his face turning ashen.

"What?!"

"Over one million one hundred thousand?"

His chest heaved with rage as he pointed at the judge's bench, his voice rising eight octaves: "Do you think I'm short of a few tens of thousands of dollars? Huh? Who are you sentencing?"

In his view, either the case should be rejected entirely, or a mere tens of thousands of dollars should be awarded as a token gesture.

The result was that the judgment was over a million yuan, with only a reduction of tens of thousands of yuan?

This isn't a discount, it's a slap in the face!

This is tantamount to telling everyone clearly that Pei's Group has broken the law, and that Pei Zhenbang has lost!

They lost to a group of migrant workers and Jiang Chen!