Published: July 30th, 2021,
Last updated: May 25th, 2022
A trend toward better working conditions in China sounds like a dream come true for trade unionists and trade politicians in the West. Yet it happens entirely in the own interest of the Chinese leadership; after all, a socialist country cannot remain antisocial forever. This is why Chinese authorities are forcing the food-delivery app Meituan to offer better conditions to its delivery drivers. However, this discussion is also familiar to us. Be it Uber, Lieferando, or Gorilla, the questions are the same: what kind of employment relationship do companies have with their delivery drivers in the first place? And aren’t these trendy platforms creating a new precariat?