Job protections weighed for couriers

Express delivery companies should take responsibility for improving working conditions for couriers, a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference said, calling the couriers important contributors in the new era who face unfair treatment.

Xu Xiao, a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, proposed during the recently concluded two sessions that it is essential for companies to strengthen the management of express outlets and optimize the business process to improve delivery efficiency.

There has been growing demand for couriers in recent years because of China’s booming e-commerce industry. Many billions of parcels are sent across the country annually.

Alibaba, one of the e-commerce giants, said more than 1 billion parcels were shipped during the Double 11 (Nov 11) online shopping spree.

Currently, around half the 3 million couriers from express delivery companies work more than 10 hours a day, and few of them have employment contracts or insurance, Xu said.

At the same time, around 70 million Chinese provided delivery services on a casual basis as a part-time or short-term job, and the number is expected to reach 100 million in 2020, according to the State Information Center of the National Development and Reform Commission.

The mobility of the job has led to issues including a low labor contract signing rate, widespread overtime and a low rate of coverage by social insurance, Xu said.

In response to the special employment situation of the express delivery industry, he proposed improving policies and regulations on issues such as labor security and social insurance.

Lyu Guoquan, a CPPCC National Committee member and director of the research office of the AllChina Federation of Trade Unions, said the unions have been working to establish a standardized labor relationship and institutional guarantee system to protect couriers’ rights.

He said couriers can join a special couriers’ union, which has already been organized in some cities, to help safeguard their legal rights.

The union allows the couriers to join as an individual, as they do not have stable labor relations with a company, he said.

Lyu said the union will also provide professional training — for example on a code of conduct and traffic rules — to improve couriers’ professional abilities and social identification.

Zhu Xiaojin, vice-president of Nanjing Normal University and a member of the CPPCC National Committee, said compulsory corporate liability insurance may be an option, especially for industries that are prone to traffic accidents such as this one.

He proposed that the hiring companies or platforms should purchase personal accident insurance or third-party liability insurance for all their employees to further protect their safety and interests.