Under scorching sun and pouring rain, food delivery drivers zipping through the streets has become ubiquitous. The timely arrival of meals, beverages and packages depends entirely on their hustle.
Ministry of Labor data showed that there are about 150,000 delivery platform workers nationwide, but most of them are classified as self-employed, meaning they are neither traditional employees nor protected under the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法). Operating outside of the system, they have become a gray area in modern labor.
Delivery workers embody the new face of labor in the modern economic era, yet their rights remain stuck in the past. They work long hours, accepting orders under the hot sun and in heavy rain through all the seasons, but when they get into car accidents or are injured, they often face obstacles due to lack of labor insurance and compensation. Delivery platforms use the banner of occupational freedom to exercise strict control — order assignments, awarding bonuses and driver ratings are all dictated by algorithms. Delivery workers might appear free, but every move they make is monitored and managed from behind the scenes.
The EU last year implemented its Platform Work Directive, which requires companies to disclose their dispatch and reward mechanisms while ensuring employees earn at least minimum wage.
Japan has established a special enrollment system that allows those classified as self-employed, such as delivery workers, to join its accident compensation insurance system — this way, delivery drivers are no longer left to fend for themselves. Taiwan could learn from these international examples while adapting to the needs of local workers, paving the way for a new labor model.
Draft bills to protect delivery workers proposed by parties across the political spectrum cover key measures such as minimum pay requirements, reasonable working hours, occupational injury insurance and health management mechanisms. They proposed requiring delivery platforms to establish transparent complaint channels to prevent platforms from arbitrarily suspending or blocking accounts, or cutting off workers’ access to orders.
All these measures aim to safeguard fundamental fairness, thereby ensuring that market competition does not come at the expense of workers’ safety.
It is worth acknowledging that the executive branch has already begun institutional deliberations and legislators across partisan lines have shown strong consensus for reform.
The government should not just conduct more research or engage in further discussion, but present a concrete proposal and accelerate the review process to ensure the new system is designed properly.
Delivery workers sustain the convenience of city life, from delivering the meals that kept people fed during the COVID-19 pandemic to supporting the digital economy. Their contributions deserve to be respected and protected.
Safeguarding delivery workers is not merely about amending a single law — it is the starting point for achieving social justice and labor dignity.
As delivery workers zip through the streets, the government should race just as hard to protect these workers’ rights and keep them at the forefront of legal reform.
Only then would delivery work become a modern profession that is dignified and secure, allowing Taiwan’s pursuit of labor justice to make truly measurable progress.
Chen Ching-yun is a former director of the Legislative Yuan’s Bureau of Legal Affairs.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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