Student labor shows dark side of e-commerce

SOME 240 VOCATIONAL SCHOOL SOPHOMORES majoring in transportation management in Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi province were reportedly sent to a local express company as interns, but all they did was sort packages. Southern Metropolis Daily commented on Monday:

Assigning students to work for an express delivery company for 10 hours per day for whatever reason violates their legal rights. Needless to say their daily wage was very low, just 10 yuan ($1.45). It is not hard to guess that the express company was overburdened by the Singles Day shopping gala on Nov 11.

According to relevant regulations on the internship of vocational school students, they are entitled to at least 80 percent of the pay they would get during probation. The Xi'an sophomores deserve much more than 1 yuan an hour. And it is likely that the school grabbed a notable share of the interns' wage and thus forced them to get only 1 yuan an hour.