Alibaba driver sets fire to himself in protest over unpaid wages
A delivery driver for Alibaba set himself on fire in protest over unpaid wages.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd
7,010.00p
16:30 30/04/24
The video of the incident has gone viral on social media posts. The footage shows Liu Jin, setting himself on fire next to a Meituan delivery scooter in the Chinese city of Taizhou.
The videos shared on social media also 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.
Liu had been working for Ele.me, Alibaba’s food delivery platform, but recently signed up to Meituan (another delivery company), according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation.
Lui had been involved in a pay dispute with Ele.me’s local partner in charge of drivers when he tried to resign, reported the Financial Times.
Ele.me said: “We are saddened by the tragic event. The situation is currently under investigation and we are unable to comment at this stage.”
Chinese tech companies have outsourced much of the process of employing and managing the millions of couriers who ferry food and packages on their behalf.
Reportedly, small local partners are known to skirt China’s labour laws.
The incident follows another fatality in December involving an Ele.me driver that collapsed and died while delivering food.
His family was initially given Rmb2,000 compensation, as Ele.me claimed to have no direct employment relationship with Han, according to state media. After a public backlash, Ele.me apologised and increased its offer to Rmb600,000.