China tightens control over angry gig economy workers seeking better deal: Report
New Delhi, June 5
China's leadership is moving to tighten oversight of the country's vast and rapidly expanding gig economy workforce, that has become both economically essential and politically sensitive for the ruling Communist Party, according to a report in the PML Daily.
These people are working under harsh conditions. Many delivery riders and drivers work extremely long hours for unstable pay while lacking basic labour protections, social insurance or pension coverage.
Analysts cited in reports by The Epoch Times argue that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sees the gig economy not merely as a labour issue but as a potential source of instability.
In late April, the General Office of the CCP and China's State Council released new guidelines aimed at strengthening management over what Beijing calls "new employment groups". The document, published through state-run Xinhua News Agency, outlined plans to intensify ideological supervision, expand political guidance and deepen Party influence over platform-based workers by 2027.
"The policy targets a workforce that now sits at the centre of China's digital economy. Food delivery riders, ride-hailing drivers, couriers, e-commerce staff and livestream hosts have become indispensable to urban life in modern China. Yet the same workforce is increasingly viewed by authorities as difficult to monitor, difficult to organise and potentially difficult to control," the article observes.
According to an analysis published in Qiushi, the CCP's official journal, China's gig workforce has reached around 84 million people - roughly one-fifth of the country's employed population.
When broader categories of "flexible employment" are included, including freelancers, part-time staff and self-employed workers, Chinese state media estimates suggest the number exceeds 200 million.
The article highlights that for years, China's economic rise relied heavily on manufacturing, infrastructure and property development. But slowing industrial growth, persistent weakness in the housing market and tighter conditions in the private sector have pushed millions into the gig economy.
In major Chinese cities, it has become common to see armies of delivery riders weaving through traffic under relentless algorithm-driven deadlines set by digital platforms competing for speed and efficiency.
The expansion of this workforce has created economic dependency while simultaneously generating social anxiety due to the low wages and poor working conditions.
The report points out that the newly-released directive repeatedly emphasises adherence to Xi Jinping's political doctrine and urges workers to "listen to and follow the Party".
It also calls for stronger "ideological and political guidance" and a top-down governance system designed to integrate gig workers more closely into existing Party structures. The language reflects a broader trend in modern Chinese governance, where political supervision increasingly overlaps with economic management and social control, said the report.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Fascinating and concerning read. 84 million people in the gig economy is staggering. The idea of "ideological supervision" over delivery riders just sounds dystopian. I wonder how this compares to India's gig workforce—we have our own challenges but at least the government talks about social security codes for platform workers.
The irony is thick—China's economic model pushed millions into precarious gig jobs, and now they're worried about instability. Back in India, we see similar algorithm-driven pressure on delivery riders, but our courts have actually helped with rulings on minimum wages. The Chinese system seems to prioritize Party control over worker welfare. Sad.
Good for China that they're trying to stabilize their labor force. I don't think everything they do is bad. Here in India, we have our own gig work issues—Zomato and Swiggy drivers also work crazy hours. But the Chinese approach of integrating workers into Party structures sounds like forced loyalty, not genuine support. There's a difference.
200 million in flexible employment—that's larger than Australia's entire population! The algorithm-driven deadlines and low wages are a global gig economy issue, not just Chinese. But the political surveillance angle is unique to China and genuinely worrying. I hope India's gig workers never face such ideological pressure from the government.
Reading this makes me think about the Swiggy delivery bhaiya who comes to my home every day. He works 12-hour shifts on his bike, and the app algorithms keep pushing him to deliver faster. But at least he can complain on social media or join a union. In China, they'd
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