Hong Kong food delivery riders among digital economy workers who need protection, says labour minister
- Chris Sun says he is concerned that some are treated as ‘self-employed’ with insufficient labour rights
- Two-year gap between minimum wage reviews can be reappraised ‘at appropriate time’, minister says
Hong Kong is considering ways to better protect workers of digital platforms, including food delivery riders, as part of efforts to safeguard labour rights.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han, who took office on July 1, said he was concerned that such workers lacked clear employment status, as some were regarded as employees while others were merely treated as self-employed.
In a media interview last Thursday, in which he outlined his priorities, he highlighted digital economy workers, the ongoing minimum wage review and workplace safety as areas he was paying attention to.
He described digital economy workers as a group who had emerged from new technologies.
Unlike those with a job contract, self-employed people are not entitled to rights and benefits under the Employment Ordinance, including paid leave, severance and long service payments, and compensation for work injury accidents.
“In addition to improving employee protection under the Employment Ordinance, we should also look at what is excluded from the ordinance,” he said.
With more people taking jobs offered by digital platforms, there have been more labour disputes arising from unclear employment relationships.