Despite the Existence of Heatwave Allowance in China,
Very Few Workers Actually Receive Support
Chinese delivery workers are working in extreme heat with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, but it has been revealed that they are not properly receiving the 'heatwave allowance' guaranteed by law.
On July 9 (local time), Bloomberg reported, "In China, regulations require a minimum monthly 'heatwave allowance' of 180 yuan (approximately 34,500 won) when temperatures exceed 35 degrees Celsius, but in reality, very few workers actually receive this allowance."
According to the report, most of China's 200 million 'gig' (short-term) workers are legally entitled to the 'heatwave allowance.' This is a type of hazard pay intended to protect outdoor workers in high temperatures.
However, Mr. A, who has been working as a delivery driver in Beijing for 10 hours a day for five years, said that he has never received this allowance, even on days when the temperature nearly reached 40 degrees Celsius. Mr. A stated, "I have never heard of the company offering any benefits for working in the heat."
In particular, while delivery demand is surging as the heatwave continues, the actual income that delivery workers take home is minimal. With the influx of orders, they can only earn about 1 yuan (200 won) more per hour.
The outlet pointed out, "This is not even enough to buy a bottle of cold water," and added, "The legally guaranteed heatwave allowance is in practice only provided by a handful of companies that strive to comply with the law. As the economic slowdown has forced more than one-fifth of all workers into gig work, most workers are pushed into fierce competition without even the opportunity to demand better welfare or working conditions."
While delivery workers continue to work without protection in the heatwave, employees of government agencies or state-owned enterprises are enjoying various benefits. These employees even boast about their 'heatwave prevention subsidies' on social networking services (SNS), and are known to receive not only cash payments but also early leave and vacations at state-run beach resorts. One Chinese SNS user pointed out, "Those who work in the heat do not receive the allowance, while those who receive the allowance do not experience the heat."
However, Chinese companies have stated that they are making efforts to support their workers. Chinese e-commerce company JD.com told Bloomberg that, although it did not disclose specific details, it does provide the heatwave allowance to some regular delivery workers. Meituan announced that it has implemented measures such as introducing heatstroke prevention insurance starting this month, and Ele.me has previously provided cooling products during the summer.
Bloomberg noted, "The risk of extreme heat does not affect everyone equally," and emphasized, "Delivery workers, street vendors, and construction workers suffer the most. Even if they collapse, there is virtually no safety net for them."
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