A delivery driver for Alibaba has set himself on fire in protest over unpaid wages, in the latest incident to highlight allegations of mistreatment of workers in China’s booming takeaway sector.
Drivers were hailed as heroes for continuing to deliver food when much of the country was under lockdown at the height of the coronavirus crisis last year. Takeaway sector revenues grew rapidly in 2020, with food delivery revenues at Meituan, the technology group, up 33 per cent year on year to Rmb20.7bn ($3.2bn) in the third quarter. But pay per order for the couriers has fallen in recent years, according to China Labour Bulletin, a Hong Kong-based workers’ rights group.
Social media posts on Monday showed Liu Jin, a 45-year-old driver, setting himself on fire next to a Meituan delivery scooter in the eastern city of Taizhou. Videos shared on social media showed people rushing towards the man to put out the fire with extinguishers. “I want my blood and sweat money back,” Mr Liu said, covered in ash.