What’s new: Beijing has given provincial and local governments until the end of the year to develop clear systems for resolving labor disputes related to the ride-hailing sector, as part of new guidelines introduced Tuesday.
The guidelines, which are aimed at protecting the rights of ride-hailing drivers, come after the top transport authority first mentioned the need for such measures in mid-August amid the regulatory storm surrounding Didi Global Inc.
Issued by eight government agencies including the Ministry of Transport (link in Chinese) on Tuesday, the guidelines urge ride-hailing firms to be more transparent about pay, give drivers a larger share of profits, provide them with social insurance coverage, give them adequate time to rest, as well as providing an effective feedback platform.
Background: In mid-August, Li Huaqiang, deputy director of transport services at the Ministry of Transport, said at a press conference that relevant departments will introduce measures to “improve the conditions and protect the labor rights of online ride-hailing drivers.”
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security also released 19 measures to safeguard the rights and interests of those flexibly employed, naming delivery workers and ride-hailing drivers in particular, in late July.
The measures came after the country’s dominant ride-hailing platform, Didi, became engulfed in a regulatory storm in the wake of its New York IPO, centered on the security of the data it collects in China.
Contact reporter Manyun Zou (manyunzou@caixin.com) and editor Flynn Murphy (flynnmurphy@caixin.com)
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