Southern Metropolis Daily: 

We found that in recent years, new forms of business represented by the platform economy have flourished, bringing together many new employment groups such as couriers, food delivery workers, and online car-hailing drivers. How is the work going related to setting up Party organizations, carrying out their activities, and expanding their reach in emerging areas, and what are the next steps? Thank you.

Qi Jiabin:

Thank you for your attention to Party building in the new forms of business and among the new occupation population. In recent years, the development of new forms of business represented by the platform economy has accelerated, and many large-scale internet platform companies that are influential have emerged, gathering a large number of new employment groups such as couriers, takeaway couriers, online car-hailing drivers, and truck drivers and gradually being new engines that drive China's economy. Statistics showed that there are now more than 200 million workers in flexible employment, many of whom are in new occupations. They mostly work online or on the road as an indispensable part of people's daily life.

Under the guidance of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, Beijing, Zhejiang, Shenzhen, and the Ministry of Transport have carried out pilot projects related to Party building in the new forms of business and among the new occupation population since last year, in a bid to expand the coverage of Party organizations in emerging sectors, and significant results have been achieved.

First, platform companies have been promoted to optimize their Party organizations. To address the problems that the setup of Party organizations is unregulated in these companies, we have guided and encouraged them, which usually develop fast and have frequent structure changes, in pilot regions to adjust and make their Party organizations reasonable in line with their business architectures. We have set up secondary-level Party committees, adjusted "oversize" Party branches, and guaranteed that there are Party organizations in key areas, striving to build an organizational structure that is consistent to the end.

Second, measures have been carried out to bring together Party members among the new employment population. In line with the characteristics of different groups, pilot regions have explored and developed innovative ways to set up Party organizations. For example, couriers and food delivery workers work around communities, so communities and platform businesses have worked with community-based Party and mass services to establish Party branches for Party members among the floating population. Given that ride-hailing drivers always move on wheels throughout the city, we have worked with relevant ride-hailing and car rental companies to establish Party branches for such drivers. Through the efforts to encourage emerging employment groups to report to communities and join trade unions and other people's organizations, we have expanded the reach of the Party organizations.

Third, emerging employment groups have been promoted to integrate into grassroots Party building work arrangements in cities. We have established over 20,000 service centers for emerging employment groups by working with community-based Party and mass service centers and rest stations for outdoor workers. Now a multi-layered practical services system with broad coverage is in place, becoming warm homes to those people. In pilot areas, a mechanism has been set up for emerging employment groups to express their demands mainly through Party branches set up for these groups and Party members. Party members are encouraged to contact a certain number of people belonging to these new employment groups, collect their demands, and help them address issues related to the working environment, protection of rights and interests, and vocational skills. Vanguard posts among other measures have extensively been set up to guide Party members to take the lead in performing their duties and providing quality services. We set up volunteer teams with Party members as the backbone and encourage new employment groups to participate in the work of promoting security, launching morality campaigns, and providing community services. Advanced figures are emerging in multitude.

Next, we will earnestly summarize experiences of pilot areas and promote Party building in new business forms and within new employment groups across the country. Enterprises will be guided to ensure effective coverage of Party organizations and improve Party's organizational system in line with their business development, organizational structure, and the number of Party members. To adapt to different work styles, work radius, and specific needs of different new employment groups, we will give full play to the advantages of localities, industries, and enterprises, explore new ways for setting up primary-level Party organizations, and increasingly improve primary-level Party organizations in emerging fields. By doing so, we can closely unite the new employment groups around the Party and provide a strong guarantee for industries' healthy development.