China draft rules offer millions of gig workers employment contracts

They have few protections and face long working hours for relatively low pay.(AFP) — Millions of gig workers in China could benefit from stronger labor protections under proposed rules announced Thursday that would require online platforms to sign employment contracts with them.The draft measures from China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security require internet platforms that “recruit, organize, and manage workers … to complete platform work tasks” to enter into standardized employment agreements with their workers.The draft, open for public comment until Nov. 8, could affect millions of takeout delivery drivers, parcel couriers and ride-hailing drivers who often lack formal labor contracts.Online platforms, including tech giants such as Alibaba, Meituan and DiDi, would also be prohibited from encouraging gig workers to register as individual business owners to avoid signing employment contracts with them.Currently, many gig workers in China work as freelancers or through subcontractors.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.They have few protections and face long working hours for relatively low pay in sectors such as food delivery, which are characterized by fierce competition and price wars between rival online platforms.Under the proposed rules, gig workers would be entitled to the minimum wage, extra pay for work on public holidays and “appropriate rest.”Platforms would also have to explain their management algorithms to workers, according to the proposal. Decisions to stop orders or ban worker accounts could not be made by algorithms alone and would require manual review.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.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads