Legal disputes between migrant workers and their employers have risen sharply in recent years. But many migrant workers can't afford the high cost of lawsuits. To help protect their rights, the government has offered them legal assistance. Our reporter Pan Deng went to Shenzhen, the city which set up the first legal aid office for migrant workers in the country, to find out how migrant workers have been coping.

Cheng Jiang lost his right eye while working on a construction site.

His employer denied any working relationship with him, and refused to pay any compensation.

The visual impairment makes his job hunt more difficult.

He was looking for help in his search for justice.

Cheng Jiang, a migrant worker,said, "A lawyer at the hospital told me that there is a legal assistance office in this district, which is designed to help poor people like me. That's how I ended up here."

Like many other migrant workers, Cheng Jiang was so eager to get a job that he forgot to sign a contract.

Fortunately, the lawyer found a salary notice with a signature from Cheng's employer, and his colleagues agreed to be witnesses.

The evidence forced his employer to admit its wrong-doing and paid him 100 thousand yuan in compensation.

Yan Zhengxiong, a lawyer, said, "The 100-thousand-yuan was set strictly in accordance with the law. That includes compensation for disability, subsidies for employment, hospitalization and further treatment. This was the biggest case of its kind in Shenzhen last year."

(CCTV March 9, 2009)