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

The arbitration tribunal was brightly lit, with the national emblem hanging high above the judge's bench, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

Once the number of attendees had stabilized, the clerk, dressed in uniform, stood up.

Her gaze swept across the entire room, her voice clear and loud.

"Now take a count of those present in court."

"Will the applicant, Zhou Min, and her legal representatives, Jiang Chen and Chen Qiaowei, appear in court?"

"Appear in court."

At the applicant's table, Zhou Min responded softly, her fingertips slightly clenching the hem of her clothes. Jiang Chen also nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

"Will the respondent, Xucheng Hengtong Trading Co., Ltd., with legal representative Zhang Lanlan and authorized litigation agents Zheng Kun and Liu Mei, appear in court?"

"I'll be in court." Zhang Lanlan casually replied, tossing her meticulously styled curly hair.

Zheng Kun responded in a deep voice, his expression calm.

"Will the applicant's witness, Li Hui, and the respondent's witness, Zhao Juan, the HR manager of Hengtong Commerce, appear in court?"

"Appear in court."

"Appear in court."

Two voices came from the witness stands on either side, one soft and one loud.

The court clerk nodded, opened the court transcript, and read aloud the court rules.

"Attention all personnel, the arbitral tribunal rules are now being announced:"

"First, please put your phone on silent or turn it off. You may not record audio, video, or take photos without the permission of the arbitration tribunal."

"Second, without the permission of the arbitral tribunal, no one may speak, ask questions, or move around at will."

"Third, no noise, applause, or disturbance is allowed, and no other behavior that disrupts the arbitration process is permitted."

"..."

"All personnel are requested to consciously abide by the above rules."

"Anyone who violates the rules of the arbitral tribunal may be reprimanded, and in serious cases, ordered to leave the arbitral tribunal!"

The rules have been read aloud.

The court clerk, facing the judge's bench, announced loudly, "Please bring in the chief arbitrator and the arbitrators."

"Whoosh!"

All attendees stood up and remained silent as required.

Soon, three people dressed in arbitration uniforms walked in one by one from the side door.

The chief arbitrator in the center is a woman in her forties.

Her expression was calm, but her gaze was sharp.

On the other two sides, an arbitrator sat on each side.

After the three people were seated, the chief arbitrator slightly raised his hand, gesturing for everyone to sit down.

The court clerk stepped forward and reported loudly to the chief arbitrator: "Chief arbitrator, in the case of the labor contract dispute between the applicant Zhou Min and the respondent Xu Chenghengtong Trading Co., Ltd., both parties, their legal representatives, and witnesses have all appeared in court. The court preparations are complete, and the hearing may commence."

The chief arbitrator nodded, glanced at both sides, and gently tapped the gavel.

Boom!

"The Xucheng District Labor and Personnel Dispute Arbitration Committee held a public hearing today in accordance with the law to hear the labor contract dispute case between Zhou Min and Xucheng Hengtong Trading Co., Ltd."

"Court is now in session!"

The chief arbitrator checked each identity one by one, and soon, the identities of all the people had been verified.

"Identity verified!"

The chief arbitrator opened the case file and continued, "This case is presided over by arbitrator Zhang Xiuqin, who will serve as the chief arbitrator, along with arbitrators Li Hao and Wang Mengmeng, forming a collegial panel. Clerk Lin Fei will serve as the recorder of this case."

According to the "Law of the People's Republic of China on Mediation and Arbitration of Labor Disputes", the parties involved in arbitration activities shall enjoy the following rights.

"First, they have the right to state the facts, explain the reasons, and engage in debate."

"Second, they have the right to present evidence, examine evidence, and apply for the collection of evidence."

"Third, they have the right to request mediation and to reach a settlement on their own."

"Fourth, any member of the arbitral tribunal or the court clerk who is believed to have a conflict of interest in the case that may affect the impartiality of the award may request the recusal of such member."

"5. If you are dissatisfied with the arbitration award, you have the right to file a lawsuit with the People's Court within the statutory time limit."

"At the same time, the parties shall fulfill the following obligations: truthfully state the facts and provide evidence for their claims; abide by the rules of the arbitral tribunal and obey the instructions of the arbitral tribunal; and respect the other party and other participants in the arbitration."

"Have both parties understood the above rights and obligations?"

"I heard you clearly."

"I heard you clearly."

Both sides responded in turn, their responses remarkably clear in the quiet arbitration courtroom.

The presiding arbitrator's gaze darkened slightly, and he solemnly inquired, "Do either party wish to request the recusal of any member of the arbitral tribunal or the court clerk in this case?"

Jiang Chen: "The applicant does not request recusal."

Zheng Kun: "The respondent did not apply for recusal."

Zhang Lanlan sat to the side, a cold smile playing on her lips. Her eyes swept over Zhou Min and Jiang Chen across from her, filled with a sense of smug disdain.

In her view, no matter how standardized the procedures are, in the end it all comes down to evidence and connections.

She refused to believe that her company's personnel system could be overturned by a mere employee!

"The court confirms that neither party has requested recusal."

The chief arbitrator closed the notification document, looked at both parties, and spoke in a deep voice.

"We are now entering the fact-finding phase."

"First, the applicant shall state the arbitration request and the facts and reasons on which it is based, and may read the arbitration application aloud."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Chen slowly stood up and picked up the arbitration application.

"Applicant Zhou Min hereby clearly states the following arbitration request in court:"

"First, the ruling revokes the respondent's decision to adjust the applicant's position and salary, and restores the applicant to the original position of administrative specialist and the original monthly salary of 8000 yuan."

"Secondly, the court ruled that the respondent should pay the applicant 2400 yuan for the difference in September's salary, 300 yuan for the withheld full attendance bonus, and 520 yuan for the deduction of leave for prenatal check-up, totaling 3220 yuan."

"Third, if the respondent refuses to correct the aforementioned illegal acts, the applicant and the respondent shall terminate the labor relationship, and the respondent shall pay the applicant a total of RMB 24000 in economic compensation for the termination of the labor contract, calculated at RMB 8000 per month based on three years of service."

After the request was read aloud, Jiang Chen changed the subject and stated the facts and reasons.

"Facts and Reasons: The applicant has been employed by the respondent as an administrative specialist since joining the company. The employment contract stipulates a monthly salary of 8000 yuan. The applicant's performance evaluation has been satisfactory for the past three years."

"When the applicant was diagnosed with pregnancy, the respondent, without consulting the applicant or providing any reasonable explanation, unilaterally made a job transfer decision, moving the applicant from an administrative position to a logistics warehouse position, mainly responsible for manual labor such as goods handling and warehouse cleaning, while reducing the base salary to 5600 yuan, a reduction of 30%."

"After the job transfer, the respondent maliciously arranged for the applicant to work overtime, imposed strict performance evaluations and attendance records, and even deducted wages for normal prenatal checkups as personal leave. In essence, the respondent used coercion to force the pregnant female employee to resign voluntarily, thereby evading the legal responsibility of paying maternity leave benefits and economic compensation."

The applicant appealed to the company, but the respondent produced a forged "performance evaluation form" to claim the job transfer was legal!

"The respondent's actions seriously violated the Special Provisions on the Labor Protection of Female Employees and the relevant provisions of the Labor Contract Law of China, and constituted employment discrimination against pregnant female employees, which seriously infringed upon the applicant's legitimate rights and interests."

"In order to safeguard my legitimate rights and interests, I hereby file for arbitration and request the arbitral tribunal to support all of my claims in accordance with the law!"