Chinese authorities have called for gig workers to be treated with kindness after videos of a delivery rider kneeling before a security guard led to protests by dozens of riders.
Guards stopped the rider from leaving a building in Hangzhou on Monday - saying he damaged railings while scaling them during a rushed delivery.
Worried that his subsequent deliveries would be delayed, the rider got on his knees and pleaded to be let go, the city’s police said in a statement.
The incident sparked outrage online, with many urging better protections for workers in the industry.
I would also argue “intent” needs to be taken into account, otherwise the general public would just be walking around destroying public and private property.
For example if a person walks or rushes through a door, and somehow the door falls off or breaks. Then that person should not be responsible for the damage, this would just be standard “wear and tear”.
If that same individual intended to break the same example door with physical force, such as smash the glass, or rip the door off the hinges, then this would be property damage.
Anyways, in no way should a worker have to kneel and beg in any situation, especially when they fear losing their job if they dont make the next delivery.
This article IMO shows a lack of worker protections and on job support within the gig economy. Workers should not have this fear, especially for minimum wage. If something happens to a worker during their shift they should have a direct support line, with support staff ready to assist.