China gig rules face enforcement test for 84 million workers

China released draft rules on Oct. 8 to expand pay, rest and workplace protections for an estimated 84 million platform workers in 2026, Channel NewsAsia reported in an Oct. 19 article.

The proposals matter for ride-hailing and delivery platforms because the draft’s four-hour break trigger would apply to workers such as Chen, a Didi driver who told CNA she usually works at least 12 hours a day.

The draft would require rest pauses after four straight hours of work, monthly payment at minimum, higher rates for statutory-holiday work and pay formulas that take worker-borne costs into account, according to the article.

Chinese authorities said the plan is intended to broaden labour safeguards, define company responsibilities more clearly and better match the conditions of platform-based employment, CNA reported.

"The draft … does not establish an entirely new set of workers' rights," Ou Lin, an employment law lecturer at Lancaster University, told CNA. "Rather, it seeks to transform some existing protective requirements into more legally binding obligations."

The rules would also target algorithmic management, the systems platforms use to allocate orders, set delivery timing and rate worker performance. CNA reported that decisions to halt order assignments or suspend accounts would need human review rather than being left only to automated systems.

The stakes are visible in Shenzhen, where Chen, a 43-year-old Didi driver identified by surname only, told CNA she earns about 10,000 yuan ($1,400) a month after expenses. She uses her own car and pays costs including charging and insurance.

"When we rest, we don't earn," Chen told CNA. She added: "You can't make money working just eight hours."

Food delivery work carries different pressures. Yang Yuhao, 24, a Meituan rider in Shenzhen, told CNA his delivery station allows four days off each month but decides when riders may take them. After more than 20 days in the job, he had not yet taken a day off.

"You can't arrange your rest days as you wish," Yang told CNA, describing the system as having "no freedom to rest". He said customer complaints could lead to deductions of about 200 yuan, while late deliveries could affect bonuses.

The 200 yuan deduction Yang described equals 2% of Chen’s reported 10,000 yuan monthly take-home pay, according to Atlas360 calculations. The figures refer to different workers and roles, but they indicate the scale of penalties against monthly platform earnings reported by CNA.

China had already issued gig-worker guidelines in 2021 and 2024, according to CNA.