Research on the Protection of Digital Labour Rights and Interests of Express Workers under the Platform Economy in China

Abstract

The rise of digital labour platforms globally presents both new opportunities for work and challenges the traditional ways of managing and regulating labour, particularly in setting minimum standards for worker protection. The study aims to investigate the impact of digital labour platforms on the labour regulation in China, focusing on the potential suitability of existing legal frameworks for protecting platform workers. It delves into the challenges faced by express workers in the platform economy on labour regulation, particularly examining the applicability of existing laws and regulations to protect the labour rights and interests of express workers within this emerging economic model. It lays the groundwork by defining platform work, examining its prevalence, workforce composition, and key characteristics, with a focus on the working conditions experienced by platform workers. It analysed how the platform business model presents challenges in applying existing labour regulations effectively. In turn, it has generated a novel interest in the adoption of a human rights-based approach towards labour protection. Therefore, this approach underscores the universality of worker rights, including the right to collective bargaining, as established by international human rights frameworks.