Regulators reiterate importance of gig worker protection

Chinese government regulators have again pushed the country’s largest internet platform companies to better safeguard labor rights, the most recent move in an ongoing campaign to rein in the tech sector, reports Caixin. The four central government ministries issued a joint guidance order Friday to 11 internet giants including Alibaba, Tencent, Meituan and Didi, asking them to step up efforts to protect workers’ rights and interests.

This is the second time since September that the regulators issued joint guidance to the companies concerning labor rights protection.

Millions of gig workers, including takeout and ride-hailing drivers, played an important role in the rapid development of China’s sprawling platform economy. They are part of new forms of employment adopted by internet platforms, which tended to outsource workers’ insurance and safety protection to third-party vendors for the sake of cost saving, usually lacking oversight.