Chinese regulators meet with delivery firms, call for stronger labour rights

Dada Nexus

07/08/2021 10:18

BEIJING, Aug 7 (Reuters) - China's delivery platform
companies including Meituan
 3690.HK  and Alibaba's  9988.HK  Ele.me recently joined a
meeting with government regulators on improving safety and
labour rights for delivery workers.
    Food delivery platforms, in the spotlight due to China's
regulatory reforms, have attracted severe criticism on social
media for their treatment of delivery workers, most of whom are
not covered by basic social and medical insurance.
    The meeting included officials from the Ministry of Public
Security and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social
Security, according to a Saturday notice on WeChat by the
Ministry of Emergency Management, which also attended. 
    Firms should strengthen safety and labour rights
protections, and not set performance indicators which harm the
health of workers, according to the meeting.
    Alibaba Group, its supermarket operator Hema Xiansheng, Dada
Nexus Ltd  DADA.O  and other firms also joined the meeting and
reported on their efforts to improve safety and labour rights.  
    Investors believe a major shift is under way in China as the
government aggressively pursues reform aimed at cutting
cost-of-living pressures at the expense of businesses, roiling
stock markets. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2PA0M6
   A set of reforms announced in July by China's market
regulator pushed food delivery platforms in China to guarantee
their workers with income above minimum pay, insurance and a
relaxation in delivery deadlines.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2P20FS
    Investors are worried about the rising cost of employing
riders by the platforms, Reuters had previously reported. 
    

 (Reporting by Gabriel Crossley; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
 ((Gabriel.Crossley@thomsonreuters.com; +86 10 5669 2127;))