Strategy And Planning

China draft rules offer millions of gig workers employment contracts

October 9, 2026
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  • Published On Oct 9, 2026 at 07:24 PM IST

The draft, open for public consultation until November 8, could affect millions of takeout delivery drivers, parcel couriers and ride-hailing drivers who often lack formal labour contracts. />Millions of gig workers in China could benefit from stronger labour protections under proposed rules announced Thursday that would mandate online platforms sign employment contracts with them.<br><br><!– PROMOSLOT_M –>The draft measures from China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security require internet platforms that ” and=”” captionrendered=”1″ complete=”” data-src=”https://etimg.etb2bimg.com/photo/134836005.cms” employment=”” enter=”” height=”442″ into=”” loading=”eager” manage=”” organise=”” platform=”” recruit=”” src=”https://hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com/images/default.jpg” standardised=”” tasks=”” their=”” to=”” width=”590″ with=”” work=”” workers.=”” workers…=””></img></p> <p>The draft, open for public consultation until November 8, could affect millions of takeout delivery drivers, parcel couriers and ride-hailing drivers who often lack formal labour contracts.</p> <p>Online platforms, including tech giants like Alibaba, Meituan and DiDi, will also be forbidden from encouraging gig workers to register as individual business owners to avoid signing employment contracts with them.</p> <p>Currently, many gig workers in China are employed as freelancers or through subcontractors.</p> <p>The world’s second-largest economy had 280 million flexible workers in 2025, according to a report by the China New Employment Forms Research Centre, a think tank.</p> <p>They have few protections and face long working hours for relatively low pay in sectors like food delivery that are characterised by fierce competition and price wars between rival online platforms.</p> <p>Under the new rules, gig workers will be entitled to the minimum wage, extra pay for work on public holidays, and “appropriate rest”.</p> <p>Platforms must also explain their management algorithms to workers, according to the proposal, and decisions to stop orders or ban worker accounts cannot be made by algorithm alone and must be reviewed manually.</p> <p>In April, Chinese authorities said they would strengthen management of the gig economy through better legal protections for workers, targeting “substantial progress” in working conditions within three years. </p> <div> <div> <ul> <li><a href=AFP

  • Published On Oct 9, 2026 at 07:24 PM IST

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