Long hours, low wages: What is it like to be a gig worker in China's growing food delivery market?
China's food delivery market has experienced explosive growth in recent years, but critics say the industry is built on digital exploitation of the country's delivery riders.

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SHANGHAI: Food delivery rider Dai Yazhen took up gig work only as a temporary solution in January last year while he looked for other jobs in Shanghai.
But the 34-year-old, who has lived in China’s wealthiest city for the past 10 years, was left disappointed when he could not secure better career opportunities.
“As I continued searching, I realised it is quite tough to find a job in Shanghai because of my age. It is not easy,” said Mr Dai, who comes from Anhui province.
“I have reached the age where I have no dreams.”
NEW FORMS OF EMPLOYMENT
In China, about 84 million people are engaged in what authorities term as new forms of employment, such as delivery workers and ride-hailing drivers, according to state media.
This group has received more attention in recent years, as the country grapples with sluggish economic growth and unemployment.
“There are people who say they like the job because the hours are flexible. But once you have done it, you will know it is not flexible at all,” said Mr Dai.
On a typical day, he starts work as early as 8am and can end at 12am. There are some riders who work even longer hours.
“The industry is in a downturn now. Delivery fees and volumes are low, and there are many riders,” Mr Dai lamented.
He added that he likely would not continue the job for more than a week if he only became a rider this year, as newcomers may not earn enough to cover their daily expenses.
“We have been in the industry longer and are more familiar with the routes. We are holding on for now.”

CUT-THROAT INDUSTRY
China's food delivery market has experienced explosive growth in recent years, reaching 1.5 trillion yuan (US$208 billion) in 2023. But the industry is built on the digital exploitation of the country's delivery riders, according to critics.
Observers said China’s food delivery industry is notoriously cut-throat.
Being late or getting a bad rating on delivery platforms will lead to a fine for the riders. Multiple bad ratings could result in temporary suspensions of riders’ accounts.
Many riders live from hand to mouth, and being banned from the platforms could hurt their livelihoods.
“I have met people who would hold the lift for me, or they would let me take the lift first as they know I am in a hurry,” said Mr Dai. “They would let me go first and they would take the next lift.”
But he has also had his fair share of nasty encounters, including a recent incident where he was yelled at for not seeing a sign prohibiting riders from entering an office building.
“I went straight in and was shouted at and told to leave,” he recalled.
“The most difficult part of the job is perhaps when it rains and roads are slippery. Traffic accidents tend to happen on rainy days. Although we are covered by insurance now, if you suffer injuries, that means there will be no work and no income and you may have to rest for days.”

LOW WAGES
Mr Dai, who earns about 10,000 yuan a month, said he has hardly any savings left after paying off his high rental and family expenses.
“In Shanghai, just rent alone will take up about 2,000 to 3,000 yuan. I am staying with my wife and children,” added Mr Dai, who is considering sending his family back to his hometown while he continues working in Shanghai.
“For other riders, if they stay together and share the cost, it may not be so expensive.”
In 2022, when Shanghai was under COVID-19-induced lockdown, delivery riders became the lifelines for millions of residents confined at home.
For another food delivery worker, Mr Deng Erhu, it was the toughest of times.
“I was living on the streets at that time. Every day, as soon as I woke up, I went out to deliver groceries and food to people,” said the 26-year-old.
“My movements were restricted and there were COVID tests all the time. It was cold. I had no blankets. I would sleep under a bridge or in a basement.”
Mr Deng, who is from Henan province, dropped out of school when he was 14 and has no educational qualifications.
“My hometown’s development is a bit slow, wages are low and I am in debt. So I thought of coming to Shanghai, which is a tier-one city,” he said.
“I wanted to see what opportunities I could find here, such as better-paying jobs, so I can earn some money to pay off my debt.”
PROTECTING WORKERS
In February, the authorities published guidelines to improve protection of the rights of workers.
The new rules require platform businesses to address issues including excessive working hours and opaque platform rules. They are also required to solicit opinions before changing algorithms related to workers' rights and interests.
“Whether this job is tough or not, it depends on the individual. For me, it’s not bad. There’s no workplace hassles,” said Mr Deng, who lives in the rural Songjiang region in Shanghai.
He previously worked as a security guard and said it was “too cumbersome” to report to a superior, adding that being a rider gives him more freedom.
“Shanghai is quite inclusive. Most people understand that it's not easy to be a rider. We don’t often encounter situations where people go out of the way to make things difficult for us,” he said.
Professor Jack Qiu, Shaw Foundation Professor of Media Technology at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, said the Chinese government has been paying attention to the gig economy sector for years, and has been aware of the potential exploitation of workers.
However, it did not take a hard stance at the time as the gig economy has been growing and was essential during the pandemic, he told CNA’s East Asia Tonight on Tuesday (Apr 30).
“There are still a lot of investments going into the food delivery or other kinds of gig economy, so it's generating a lot of jobs,” said Prof Qiu.
“But in the last couple of years, especially since the end of the pandemic, the global macroeconomic situation is changing. There's much less hot money going into this sector and so the growth rate is slowing down.
“So the government is taking (a closer) scrutiny and also with the eye to create more sustainable employment, rather than just short-term (work).”