"In Depth: Why China’s Injured Gig Workers Often Lose Out in Court", 26 October 2021

Liu Jiwei, one of millions of drivers working for the ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing Technology Co. Ltd., died suddenly on Feb. 16, 2019, in his work-registered car. Despite two years of effort, his family has struggled to prove Liu had established a formal labor relationship with Didi or to receive compensation for his death.

Liu became a Didi driver in June 2017. His account on the Didi platform showed that he had completed 3,518 trips and earned more than 200,000 yuan ($31,024) from the job.

Didi claimed Liu had never signed a labor contract, and that his death could not therefore be considered work-related. “Didi’s attitude has always been tough. For a long time, we couldn’t find anyone to deal with the case,” said Xian Xiaoyan, the Liu family’s lawyer. [...]