William Langley
The Financial Times
11 March 2025
… And while the moves were likely to be partially motivated by calls to protect workers, there also appeared to be an element of competition, with major platforms reluctant to lose drivers — and market share — to rivals.
“It would be great if JD.com is really sincere to become a role model for the entire industry . . . there might be a huge rippling effect,” said Jenny Chan, associate professor of sociology at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
But, she added, platforms should clarify how many workers qualify for the payments, whether drivers will have to make contributions themselves and how they will ensure accountability, given that many drivers are employed through third parties. “The devil is in the details,” she said.
Dying for an iPhone 