Ningbo’s one-stop maritime dispute resolution center efficiently resolves crew wage‑arrear disputes.

On August 13, the Ningbo Waterborne "One-Stop" Dispute Resolution Center successfully mediated a wage dispute involving 16 employees in the water-related industry. On the day of the mediation, nearly 180,000 yuan in overdue wages was fully distributed to the workers.

It is reported that the dispute stemmed from a wage disagreement caused by the subcontracting of a shipbuilding project. Due to the refusal of the subcontracting company's responsible person to cooperate or appear, along with other complex factors, the workers' repeated appeals had not been effectively resolved for a long time.

After receiving the request for assistance, the Ningbo Waterborne "One-Stop" Dispute Resolution Center quickly activated a cross-departmental coordination mechanism. The Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration, Beilun District Social Governance Center (Comprehensive Governance Center), and Beilun District Labor Security Supervision and Enforcement Service Center jointly intervened. The mediation team carefully explained labor security laws and regulations to guide workers in expressing their demands lawfully and rationally. At the same time, they proactively held discussions with the general contractor to clarify its legal responsibility for payment in the subcontracting process. Through joint efforts, all 16 wages were transferred to the workers' accounts by the afternoon of the same day.

"I never expected to get the overdue wages back so quickly, and I certainly didn’t expect so many organizations to take the problems of ordinary workers like us so seriously. We didn’t even have to run around to resolve it," said Master Tian excitedly after receiving his wages.

Chai Yeyang, Deputy Director of the Legal and Regulatory Division of the Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration, stated that during the mediation process, the three departments clearly defined their roles in advance and worked in full coordination throughout. The maritime department identified the key points of the conflict based on the employment practices in the shipbuilding industry; the Beilun District Social Governance Center (Comprehensive Governance Center) coordinated resources and tracked the mediation progress; and the labor security supervision department clarified and enforced corporate responsibilities in accordance with relevant laws, forming an effective synergy.

The successful resolution of this dispute is a vivid example of the enhanced waterborne dispute resolution capabilities in the jurisdiction since the establishment of the Ningbo Waterborne "One-Stop" Dispute Resolution Center. It is understood that the center has integrated 11 units, including maritime, judicial, labor security, and social governance departments, and assembled 68 professional mediators. Its scope of acceptance covers six major types of disputes, including water traffic accidents, crew labor disputes, and maritime personal injury compensation. To date, the center has mediated 17 waterborne disputes with a 100% success rate, effectively addressing previous issues such as fragmented grassroots resources and limited capacity to handle major complex disputes. It has become an important safeguard for maintaining harmony and stability in the jurisdiction's waterborne areas.