Following JD.com’s step, Meituan Will Provide Social Security for Its Food Delivery Riders

On February 19th, Meituan announced that it would start providing social security for full-time and stable part-time delivery riders nationwide, with the implementation expected to begin in the second quarter of 2025.

Following the introduction of anti-fatigue mechanisms and the removal of overtime penalties, this is another step by Meituan in recent years to enhance social security for the new employment group. Public information indicates that since July 2022, Meituan has been the first to pay new occupational injury insurance premiums for the new employment group. They have already allocated 1.4 billion yuan to cover occupational injury insurance premiums for riders in seven pilot provinces and cities and plan to extend this coverage to all riders in all provinces and cities.

If this social security payment initiative is gradually implemented, it could ultimately benefit over a million riders. Public reports show that in 2023, Meituan had approximately 820,000 “stable riders who worked for more than 260 days throughout the year,” a number that likely includes the “full-time and stable part-time riders” mentioned in the announcement. Considering the expanding scale of the food delivery market and the employment group, it is estimated that this initiative may eventually cover over a million riders.

Industry insiders note that with the stable development of industries like food delivery, a relatively clear division has emerged between “professional” and “part-time” groups among new workers such as delivery riders. Many riders, after accumulating relevant experience and skills, have become stable professionals.

Coinciding with Meituan‘s move, JD.com has entered the food delivery market. Starting from February 11th, JD.com officially launched the recruitment of “quality dine-in food businesses,” offering a year of commission-free service to businesses that join before May 1, 2025. On the morning of February 19th, JD.com announced ahead of Meituan that starting from March 1, 2025, they will gradually provide full social security benefits for JD.com delivery riders and offer accident insurance and health medical insurance for part-time riders. After providing social security benefits for courier workers, JD.com has become the first platform to provide social security benefits for food delivery riders.

Prior to this, the lack of social welfare protection for gig workers like food delivery riders and couriers was a widely criticized fact against the backdrop of China’s rapidly developing platform economy. Meituan and JD.com‘s successive moves to provide social security and benefits for riders not only signify an enhancement of workers’ rights but will also have a profound impact on the business models, cost structures, and competitive landscape of flexible labor service providers.

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