China's labor law relies on individual initiative

In recent months, labor rights have once more become a hot topic in China, as cries grew louder for better protection of workers‘ rights in the gig economy. This societal awareness of labor rights issues is also reflected by the number of labor disputes filed with the institutions, which first grew rapidly after relevant legislation was issued in 2008 and kept growing steadily ever since. Counterintuitively, the number of collective cases has declined, to some degree attesting to China’s sensitivity regarding collective action.

Last updated: 24. July 2025