Platform Workers’ Pay, Safety and Social Protection Take Centre Stage at Beijing Talks

Adopted by the International Labour Conference on 12 June 2026, Convention No. 193 is the first international labour standard dedicated to improving working conditions in the platform economy.

For people whose working lives depend on digital platforms, questions about pay, injury protection and the rules governing their jobs have immediate consequences. Those concerns shaped a Beijing seminar on 15 October 2026, where government officials, worker and employer representatives, platform businesses and international experts discussed how to strengthen protection in a fast-changing sector.

Jointly organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), the meeting examined the recently adopted Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention, 2026 (No. 193). It took place under an EU-funded project supporting China's institutional capacity to extend social protection, bringing Chinese experience into discussion with policy developments in Europe.

A new international standard addresses platform work

Adopted by the International Labour Conference on 12 June 2026, Convention No. 193 is the first international labour standard dedicated to improving working conditions in the platform economy.

Its framework covers fundamental rights at work, occupational safety and health, employment status, payment, personal data and privacy, employment terms and access to social security. These issues reach into the practical details of platform work, including how workers are paid, how their information is handled and what protection they receive when something goes wrong.

Mikhail Pouchkin, Director of the ILO Country Office for China and Mongolia, said the Convention provides guidance for member States, governments, employers and workers as they develop legal frameworks to improve conditions.

Opening speakers from MOHRSS, the EU Delegation to China, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), the China Enterprise Confederation (CEC) and the ILO stressed that technological innovation should create opportunities alongside safeguards for workers.

The Convention connects those protections with fair competition and sustainable economic growth, giving countries a common framework for responding to new business models.

China shares experience on injury insurance and rider protection

A dedicated session examined China's approach to platform workers' rights, with a Chinese expert tracing policy changes and recent regulatory developments. An ILO expert also outlined plans for a forthcoming China Thematic Report on Decent Work in the Platform Economy. Meituan, one of the largest location-based platform companies, presented its practices concerning riders' rights and interests, including occupational safety, algorithm management and social security.

Social protection remained a central concern throughout the discussions. MOHRSS explained the design and implementation of its occupational injury insurance programme for workers in new forms of employment, which currently covers more than 37 million workers.

The ILO discussed efforts to extend coverage and strengthen policies so they respond more effectively to the needs of people working through platforms. Representatives from ACFTU and CEC shared views on practical ways to improve working conditions, emphasising approaches that support innovation and protect workers' rights and interests.

Jiang Wei, Deputy Director-General of MOHRSS's International Cooperation Department, said China had continued to improve policies and institutions protecting workers in new forms of employment and welcomed international cooperation on the sector's development.

European experience adds to the policy discussion

Experts from the European Commission, Spain and the Netherlands shared lessons from European policy initiatives, particularly the EU Platform Work Directive and national efforts to incorporate it into domestic legislation.

Their contributions allowed participants to compare responses to labour protection, social security and platform governance across different national settings. Speakers stressed that regulation needs continuous monitoring and evidence-based research to help policymakers understand how measures work in practice.

Franck Porte, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to China, said the Team Europe approach brings expertise together and supports the exchange of good practices and concrete case studies. Differences between countries, he explained, make sharing experience useful for understanding which approaches can inform policy development.

Participants closed the seminar by reaffirming the importance of dialogue between governments, workers and employers, alongside international cooperation. They called for continued exchanges to support decent work, inclusive growth and effective social protection.

The ILO Office for China and Mongolia will continue supporting China through the EU-funded project, "Improving China's institutional capacity towards universal social protection (Phase III)," carrying the discussion forward into further work on protections for people in new forms of employment.