China’s Gig Workers Push Back on Proposed Social Security Law
Chinese gig workers are resisting a proposed revision to the country’s e-commerce law that would expand social security coverage, arguing that the legislation fails to address their most pressing concerns: higher per-order pay and safer working conditions. The pushback highlights a fundamental tension between Beijing’s ambition to extend social protections to nearly 300 million flexible workers and the economic realities facing delivery drivers on the ground.
The Proposed Legislation
China’s State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Ministry of Commerce released a draft revision of the E-commerce Law on July 4 for public consultation until August 4. The draft, the first comprehensive revision since the law took effect in 2019, adds 10 new articles and modifies 12 existing ones, raising the accountability of e-commerce platforms for the safety, wages, and basic social security of outsourced labor, including delivery drivers.
According to officials from SAMR and MOFCOM, the revision focuses on strengthening the protection of workers in new forms of employment, small and medium-sized operators within e-commerce platforms, and consumers. The draft also introduces proportional fines of up to 5% of annual turnover for severe platform violations and extends the law’s reach to foreign platforms operating in China.
Workers’ Concerns
Despite the government’s stated intention to strengthen protections, many gig workers say the law misses the mark. Zhang Liang, a 34-year-old delivery driver in Guangzhou, told SCMP that the streets are flooded with delivery drivers and payouts per order have plummeted.
“To make what we earned last year, we have to stay on the road longer and ride faster, leading to a sharp rise in traffic accidents among us,” Zhang said. “What we want is higher per-order pay and more reasonable delivery times, so that we can work shorter hours and stay safer while on the job.”
Zhang’s sentiment reflects a broader pattern. A 2021 survey found that 72.3% of delivery riders would only be willing to pay less than 500 yuan per month for social security. Many riders view social security contributions as reducing their already-low take-home pay without providing immediate benefits, particularly for those who are transient or plan to return to their hometowns.
Platform Initiatives and Policy Context
The proposed law comes amid a wave of platform-led social security initiatives. JD.com began paying full five insurances and one housing fund for its full-time riders in March 2025, with all costs borne by the company. Meituan launched a “pay first, subsidize later” model in April 2025, providing 50% subsidies for pension insurance contributions, and expanded the program nationwide by November 2025. Taobao Flash Purchase has subsidized at least 50% of pension and medical insurance premiums for stable riders since late 2025.
According to Xinhua reporting, these initiatives have made meaningful progress, with 84 million workers in new employment forms nationwide and 17 provinces piloting occupational injury protection covering over 27 million workers. Zhang Chenggang, director of the China New Employment Forms Research Center at Capital University of Economics and Business, called the platform subsidies “an important exploration in protecting the rights of workers in new employment forms.”
The Core Tension
The debate exposes a fundamental disconnect between policymakers and the workers the law aims to protect. As Workers’ Daily reported, Zhuang Jiachi, an associate professor of sociology at Central University of Finance and Economics, praised the “enterprise subsidy, government guidance, individual voluntary participation” model as a replicable framework for bringing riders into institutionalized protection.
Yet for many riders, the immediate challenge is economic survival, not long-term retirement planning. The influx of new workers into delivery services has driven down per-order earnings, forcing longer hours and creating more dangerous conditions. As Wang Tianyu, a researcher at the Institute of Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noted via Xinhua, further progress requires clarifying labor relationship recognition standards and regulating wages, working hours, and safety benchmarks.
What’s Next
The public consultation period for the draft revision closes on August 4, after which SAMR and MOFCOM will refine the proposal based on feedback. The legal analysis from Guantao Law Firm suggests the revision signals a broader shift toward strengthening platform responsibility and regulatory oversight, with implications extending beyond social security to cross-border e-commerce and international cooperation.
For gig workers like Zhang Liang, however, the outcome will be measured in more tangible terms: whether the final law translates into higher pay, safer roads, and a more sustainable livelihood. The challenge for Beijing lies in balancing the imperative of expanding social protections with the flexibility and economic realities that define China’s vast gig economy.