BEIJING -- For the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers from Gushi county, Henan province, living and working in Beijing, their first port of call if they are ever in trouble is a powerful emissary from their distant hometowns.

Most migrant workers are loosely connected with local branches of the Communist Party of China (CPC) where they grew up, but natives of Gushi in their nation's capital are represented by the Working Committee sent by Gushi County Committee of the CPC to Beijing - the Party's first such organization for migrant workers in their new cities.

This outpost in Beijing has helped migrant workers from Gushi handle 109 labor disputes and 680 other legal cases, and retrieved 47.6 million yuan (about $7.15 million) in unpaid wages.

The pilot project showcases the Party's resolution to ensure China's floating population are not left adrift in their adopted homes.

Miao Zhenshui, a retired military officer who has led the working committee since 2008, has been named one of the year's 100 best Party workers and will attend an award ceremony on July 1, the 95th anniversary of the Party's establishment.

"Party building among the transient population is a challenge for the CPC. My team is just exploring what improvements we can make at the local level to better serve the country's 270 million migrant workers," said Miao.

Under the working committee, there are 32 branches, led by first-generation migrants who are business owners or entrepreneurs, and undertake Party work without pay.

"All branch leaders understand what it is like to be a migrant worker and this motivates us to help," said Miao.

CALM IN DISPUTE SETTLEMENT

Migrant workers are usually poor and lack legal knowledge. To remedy the situation, Miao has assigned commissaries to each Party branch to disseminate economic information and offer legal advice.