Lawyer works to ensure communities get along

The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which has a special chapter focusing on exercising law-based governance on all fronts and advancing the rule of law, is inspiring and giving people who work in the sector confidence to firmly forge ahead, according to Yang Xiyong, director of the lawyer association of Yantai, Shandong province.

"The report says we will apply and further develop the 'Fengqiao model' for promoting community-level governance in the new era, and that we will improve the mechanisms for appropriately addressing disputes among members of the public under the new circumstances," said Yang, who is also a delegate to the 20th CPC National Congress.

For 17 years, Yang has been working on handling public complaints and maintaining open and regular channels for learning about the concerns of people at the community level and protecting their rights and interests.

He has earned a reputation for being a "good brother" among migrant workers for helping them address disputes with their employers.

At a community mediation office in Yantai, silk banners bearing words like "Mediation promotes harmony" and "Shaking hands makes peace" are hung on the wall. Yang is one of the lawyers who work in the office addressing the concerns of residents and workers.

When he arrived at the office after a meeting in late October last year, two migrant workers were waiting for him to request his help with recovering the wages of more than 20 workers, totaling 457,600 yuan ($66,400).

Yang called the construction company the migrant workers worked for to verify their workload and what they were owed. After hours of negotiation and mediation, the construction company agreed to pay the wages.

"The report has pointed out that problems should be resolved as they emerge at the community level," said Yang, adding that is why he has been working on improving the services at his community mediation office.

Yang and his team have resolved 386 disputes at his office since August.

To help more workers and residents, Yang and his team are building an online mediation platform on which people can apply for legal aid.

"We are in a particularly good era in which the Party and governments attach great importance to the rights and interests of migrant workers, and the interests of people at the grassroots," Yang said.

In recent months, Yang has been conveying the spirit of the congress to migrant workers and residents in Yantai at construction sites, social organizations and schools.

"I will try my best to deal with every case related to the interests of residents and workers, so that they will be assured of fairness and justice," he said.