China Proposes New Regulations to Protect Rights of Gig Economy Workers

According to a report from China News Service, the rapid growth of new employment forms like ride-hailing and food delivery has created significant challenges. Workers frequently face issues such as withheld pay, excessive working hours, and inadequate safety protections, which have drawn widespread public attention regarding the necessity for improved labor rights. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security has released a draft measure for public comment until November. This proposal aims to define basic labor rights, regulate algorithmic management, and categorize employment forms. It seeks to establish clear standards for protecting the rights of millions of workers in these new sectors. The draft expands the scope of labor protection by including workers who do not fully meet traditional employment criteria but are subject to corporate management. This coverage extends to delivery riders, ride-hailing drivers, freight drivers, and online streamers, ensuring these groups are integrated into the existing legal framework for labor rights. The proposed regulations address concerns about workers being trapped by algorithms by requiring companies to explain their operational mechanisms. The rules prohibit algorithmic discrimination and mandate human review for significant decisions like account bans or order suspensions, ensuring that automated systems do not unfairly impact the interests of platform workers.