Reference News Network, January 20 report: According to the "Nikkei" on January 19, the Chinese government is accelerating the improvement of benefits for flexible workers. By 2026, workers in specific industries who work flexibly across the country will be included in a new protection system similar to work-related injury insurance, which will be borne by platform operators. The move aims to provide security for young people who find it difficult to find stable jobs.
The government will hold major platform operators accountable and urge them to take responsibility for workers such as delivery riders, couriers, and ride-hailing drivers who have been injured or suffered accidents. The government requires these workers to be included in a specialized system called "Occupational Injury Protection."
Flexible workers usually get paid based on the amount of work they do. To increase income, some riders violate traffic rules and drive at high speeds on the road, causing traffic accidents. However, since they are not employees who have signed labor contracts, employers usually do not need to pay work-related injury insurance for them.
The report said that this issue has drawn the attention of the Chinese government. In July 2022, the relevant occupational injury protection system was first piloted in seven provinces and cities including Beijing and Shanghai. In the summer of 2025, another ten provinces joined the pilot. By 2026, the system will be extended to other provinces.
With the popularization of app-based delivery services, calls for protecting the rights of flexible workers began to emerge in China since 2015. In the spring of 2017, the State Council issued a document stating that employment, labor protection and related systems should be improved to support the development of new forms of employment.
In autumn 2023, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security issued guidelines for platform operation companies, urging them to create a working environment conducive to employee rest.
The guidelines require the mandatory addition of a function in the order dispatch equipment to remind employees to rest, and to no longer allow them to accept orders after working for a certain period of time. The guidelines further stated that working hours should not be limited to actual delivery time, but should also include waiting time for orders and time spent going to the bathroom.
With the popularity of online services, work methods are becoming increasingly diverse, and protecting the rights of flexible workers has become an important global issue. For China, the scale of this group is far larger than in other countries. (Translated by Liu Lin)
On January 14, delivery riders prepared lunch in the shared canteen at the "Qingnuan Hongqi Family" in Lichang District, Qingdao City. (Xinhua News Agency)
Original article: toutiao.com/article/7597324887924998682/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.