“Didi Global is helping workers establish their first union, a groundbreaking decision its fellow tech giants may soon follow as China imposes rules to curb excessive work and protect millions of blue-collar workers from exploitation,” reported Bloomberg , citing sources. Details: The ride-hailing firm’s drivers – a majority of whom are part-time workers and do not get full employment benefits – will be invited to the union. The plan for a union was announced in an internal forum but no other details were given. Food delivery firm Meituan was also looking at putting up “internal labor rights organizations,” while Alibaba employees were reportedly seeking a workers’ body as well. Dive deeper: China’s Supreme Court recently warned firms that the country’s strenuous “996” work culture was against labor law. The focus on excessive work comes amid Xi Jinping’s “common prosperity” campaign, which pushes firms to “share the enormous wealth” gained during the online boom.
