People's Livelihood Direct Train | Make up for shortcomings and strengthen regulations - multiple departments have accelerated the "protective umbrella" for workers in new industries
During the May Day holiday, Qi Jianzhong, a Meituan delivery rider in Nanjing, was busy and practical. “With occupational injury protection, I feel more at ease when running. Otherwise, I don’t know who to call if I get injured.”
In December 2023, Qi Jianzhong accidentally fell and fractured his bones while delivering food. With the help of Meituan staff, he used his mobile phone to apply for occupational injury insurance, and was reimbursed 875 yuan of about 1,000 yuan in medical expenses. After the disability appraisal, at the end of January 2024, he received a one-time disability subsidy of 41,900 yuan from the human resources and social security department.
Qi Jianzhong told reporters that he has been a rider for 6 years, has a good income and flexible time. However, bumps and bruises are inevitable in the busy schedule, especially when the weather is bad, and the family is always worried. "Occupational injury protection is like an extra layer of 'protective net', so after four months of rest and recovery, I came back to deliver food."
The occupational injury protection mentioned by Qi Jianzhong is a new type of work-related injury insurance created by the state for workers in new employment forms. The fees are paid by the platform enterprise, and the individual employees do not pay. The scope and circumstances of its protection, as well as the standards and levels of benefits, are basically consistent with those of work-related injury insurance.
On May 1, 2024, a takeaway rider was delivering food on Shanguo Road, Tengzhou City, Shandong Province. hair
Starting from July 2022, occupational injury protection for employees in the new employment form will be carried out in 7 platform companies including Meituan, Ele.me, Shansong, Lalamove, and Caocao Travel in 7 provinces and cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Guangdong. Pilot. As of the end of March 2024, 8.017 million people have been included in the coverage.
"Occupational injury protection effectively protects the rights and interests of employees in the new employment form, and in particular effectively plays the role of insurance for major casualties. This system also disperses the operating risks of platform enterprises and contributes to the standardized and healthy development of the platform economy." Human Resources Zheng Xuanbo, director of the Work-related Injury Insurance Department of the Ministry of Social Security, said.
Zheng Xuanbo introduced that pilot projects have been conducted on how to participate in social insurance as an emerging group of employees in the new employment form, and valuable experience has been accumulated. The next step will be to summarize experience and study how to expand the scope of implementation.
The reporter noticed that the website of the National Social Insurance Public Service Platform has set up a special occupational injury protection service section, which shows that inquiry services such as insurance information, benefit payment application acceptance, occupational injury confirmation, benefit payment, and processing progress are being trialled.
On February 9, 2024, the Nanjing Municipal Transportation Bureau launched a "New Year's Eve dinner" gift event for workers in new industries such as online ride-hailing drivers and couriers. Photo by reporter Liu Wenhui
There are 84 million workers in new employment forms, including takeout riders, instant delivery people, and online ride-hailing drivers.
“In view of the shortcomings faced by this group such as high occupational risks, high labor intensity, and low security levels, in recent years, we have worked with relevant departments to continuously improve systems and mechanisms, innovate work methods, strengthen service security, and safeguard workers in the new employment form. legitimate rights and interests,” said Li Xinwang, Director of the Labor Relations Department of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
From the eight departments jointly issuing the "Guiding Opinions on Safeguarding the Labor Security Rights and Interests of Workers in New Employment Forms", to the introduction of special rights protection policies for key groups such as delivery workers and online ride-hailing drivers, and the reasonable definition of corporate labor protection responsibilities, to February 2024 The "Guidelines for the Protection of Rest and Labor Remuneration Rights and Interests of Workers in New Employment Forms", the "Guidelines for Public Notice of Labor Rules for Workers in New Employment Formations" and the "Service Guidelines for the Protection of Rights and Interests of Workers in New Employment Forms" were released in March... Relevant departments are accelerating support for workers in new industries. Take up a "protective umbrella".
“We guide platform companies and their employment partners to sign labor contracts and written agreements with workers, reasonably determine labor remuneration, scientifically arrange working hours, formulate and revise platform labor rules such as order distribution and remuneration payment in accordance with laws and regulations, and establish internal labor disputes Resolution mechanism." Li Xinwang introduced.
In response to the prominent problems faced by workers in the new employment form of "overtime work", the relevant guidelines provide specific and detailed guidance for enterprises to scientifically determine workload and labor intensity, and at the same time, workers in the new employment form are included in the minimum wage guarantee. In terms of optimizing insurance participation services, all regions, except for a few megacities, have opened up channels for flexible employment personnel to participate in employee pension insurance at the place of employment.
What should workers do if they have disputes with platforms over remuneration? How can they protect their rights?
By strengthening the linkage with people's mediation and judicial mediation, relevant departments provide one-stop joint mediation services for labor disputes in new employment forms such as labor remuneration, rest time, occupational injuries, etc.; at the same time, they continue to improve the construction of online mediation platforms, optimize the mediation process and time limit, and help Both parties voluntarily reached a mediation agreement on the basis of mutual understanding and accommodation.
"Parties can also apply for arbitration review or judicial confirmation of the mediation agreement. After review or confirmation, they can apply to the court for enforcement. Currently, there are nearly 1,000 such mediation organizations across the country, and we will continue to promote them." Li Xinwang said.
