China’s Big Tech sector urged to abide by Karl Marx’s ideals, do away with 996 work culture

Big Tech companies are being called on to refrain from “limitless exploration of surplus labour for high surplus value”, according to an opinion piece in a newspaper run by the country’s top political advisory body, in a rare public reference to Karl Marx’s economic thought to assess China’s infamous 996 work culture.

The opinion piece, published by the CPPCC Daily on Tuesday, was written by Ling Zhenguo, a former deputy chairman of the Committee on Population, Resources and Environment of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference national committee.

“We must realise that any attempt to treat a person’s two legs as the two wheels of a motorcycle, or to regard the two arms of a workers as robotic arms, is not in line with the development of a socialist market economy with Chinese characteristics,” wrote Ling, as he decried the dark side of working for the country’s booming technology industry.

Ling indicated that China’s internet companies must put people “at the centre”, which would help contribute to “common prosperity” and the equitable distribution of wealth across the country.

He also said internet platform operators must not “calculate every penny of employees’ pay based on the seconds they spend delivering” or “ignore their basic interests and life safety”. His words reference the plight of about 200 million workers in China’s gig economy, many of whom work for the likes of ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing and food delivery service market leader Meituan, without the full benefits of permanent employees.