科技讓單「快送」了 勞權卻「慢半拍」 ？台灣外送員的困境與國際解方 Tech Delivers Fast, but Labor Rights Lag Behind? The Plight of Taiwan’s Food Delivery Workers and Global Solutions
- melody huang
- Apr 22
- 7 min read
- SDGs8: Decent Work and Economic Growth -
By: 黃文妤 Melody Huang
勞動新型態的雙面刃 The Double-Edged Sword of New Forms of Labor
數位平台經濟的崛起，不僅改變了人們的消費習慣，也重塑了勞動市場的樣貌。對外送員而言，工作時間的靈活性與收入的不確定性並存，像是一把雙面刃。
在台灣，外送員經歷著工傷保障不足、派單不透明、薪資不穩的多重挑戰，而這種情況並非台灣獨有。透過專家分析與外送員的親身經歷，本專題深入探討外送勞動的現實與未來，並與西班牙、德國、美國等國家的經驗比較，試圖尋找平衡數位經濟與勞動保障的可能性。
The rise of the digital platform economy has not only reshaped consumer habits but also transformed the labor market. For food delivery workers, the flexibility in working hours coexists with unstable income—a double-edged sword.
In Taiwan, delivery workers face multiple challenges: insufficient protection against work injuries, lack of transparency in order dispatching, and unstable earnings. These issues are not unique to Taiwan. Through expert analysis and firsthand accounts from delivery workers, this report delves into the reality and future of food delivery labor, while drawing comparisons with experiences in Spain, Germany, and the United States to explore possible balances between the digital economy and labor protections.
台灣外送員的挑戰與困境 The Challenges Faced by Taiwan's Delivery Workers
八年經驗的台灣外送員楊先生每天需工作9至12小時，收入卻依然不穩。「目前一單最低只剩40元，如果不衝單，可能月收入連生活基本開支都覆蓋不了。」他進一步指出，派單系統的透明度不足：「我就在餐廳旁邊，卻把單派給遠距離的外送員」，同時，遠程派單常導致高油費與空車回程的問題，使得實際收入大打折扣。此外，他談到外送工作的高風險性，「交通事故是每天要面對的挑戰，但平台幾乎沒有提供保障。」
Mr. Yang, a delivery worker with eight years of experience in Taiwan, works 9 to 12 hours a day, yet still struggles with income instability. “The base rate per order has dropped to just NT$40. If I don’t hustle for orders, I can’t even cover my basic living expenses.” He also highlighted the lack of transparency in the dispatching system: “I’m standing right next to the restaurant, but the system assigns the order to someone farther away.” This often leads to high fuel costs and return trips without orders, which significantly reduces net income. He also pointed out the high risks of the job: “Traffic accidents are something we face every day, but the platform offers virtually no protection.”
外送產業工會理事長陳昱安也表示，目前外送員的權益問題主要源自於承攬關係的模糊定位。「平台將外送員定性為承攬人，規避了雇主應盡的責任，導致工傷或保險保障的空缺。」而當勞工嘗試反映問題時，卻可能面臨停權處分，進一步喪失生計來源。
Union president Chen Yu-An noted that the core issue lies in the ambiguous classification of delivery workers as independent contractors:
“By classifying delivery workers as contractors, platforms evade employer responsibilities, creating gaps in protections such as for work-related injuries or insurance.”
When workers try to speak out, they risk having their accounts suspended—losing their only source of income.
美國外送員的故事：政策差異與小費文化
The U.S. Perspective: Policy Gaps and Tipping Culture
美國的情況同樣充滿挑戰。住在馬里蘭州的外送員 Lily 同時使用 Uber Eats、Doordash 等平台工作。她提到，雖然外送工作帶來了一定的自由度，但收入高度依賴於小費，而近年來小費文化逐漸減退，導致外送員的薪資變得更加不穩定。「基本薪資只在每單2到4美元間波動，如果沒人給小費，一天的收入可能遠低於最低工資。」
The situation in the U.S. is equally challenging. Lily, a delivery worker in Maryland who works for platforms like Uber Eats and DoorDash, noted that while the job offers flexibility, earnings heavily depend on tips. With tipping culture declining in recent years, incomes have become increasingly unstable. “The base pay per delivery ranges from $2 to $4. Without tips, it’s hard to make even minimum wage.”
此外，Lily 指出平台在健康保險和安全保障方面的缺失。雖然部分平台提供健康保險補貼，但外送員仍需自行負擔大部分費用。「州與州之間的政策差異也很大。像加州、紐約有最低薪資保障，但其他州的外送員卻無法享受同等保護。」
Lily also criticized the lack of health insurance and safety protections provided by platforms:
“Some platforms offer subsidies for health insurance, but we still have to pay most of it out-of-pocket.” She also pointed to major discrepancies between states:
“States like California and New York provide minimum wage guarantees, but others don’t offer the same protection.”
Lily 提到，平台系統演算法對派單公平性也有影響。「接單率高的外送員能優先拿到高價單，但這迫使我們不得不接一些低價甚至虧本的單，否則整體收入會大幅下降。」
Lily added that platform algorithms affect the fairness of order assignments:
“Workers with high acceptance rates get access to higher-paying orders, which forces us to take low-paying or even loss-making orders to avoid losing our spot in the queue.”
國際經驗比較：法律與制度的多元探索
Global Comparisons: Legal and Institutional Innovations
林副教授與陳理事長認為，國際經驗是台灣未來改革的重要參考依據。
According to Professor Lin and Union President Chen, international approaches can serve as valuable references for Taiwan's future reforms.
西班牙的「騎士法」
林佳和教授提到，西班牙的「騎士法」對外送員的身份進行了大膽的法律預設，將外送員視為勞工，要求平台舉證證明否則須負責支付最低工資、工時保障及社會保險等費用。這一法律在勞工權益保障上提供了強有力的支持，但平台運營成本的提高也引發了行業爭議，一些中小型平台選擇退出市場。
Spain’s "Riders Law"
Professor Lin Chia-He explained that Spain’s Riders Law reclassifies delivery workers as employees by default. Platforms must prove otherwise or be obligated to provide minimum wages, regulated working hours, and social insurance.
While the law significantly strengthens labor protections, the rise in operating costs has driven some small and medium-sized platforms out of the market.
德國的「類似勞工」制度
德國則採取「中間路線」，為外送員等新型態工作者設立「類似勞工」地位，讓他們享有有限的勞工權益（如病假、家庭照顧假等），但不完全適用於傳統僱傭勞工的法律範疇。這種模式平衡了企業彈性與勞工保障，但需要配套機制支持，避免類似勞工身份被濫用。
Germany’s "Quasi-Employee" Model
Germany has taken a middle-ground approach, establishing a “quasi-employee” status for delivery workers and other gig workers. This allows them limited labor rights (such as sick leave and family care leave), though they are not fully classified as traditional employees. This model strikes a balance between business flexibility and worker protections, but requires safeguards to prevent misuse of the classification.
美國的「AB5法案」
與第22號提案在美國，加州曾試圖以「AB5法案」將外送員全面納入勞工範疇，卻因成本上升與僱傭靈活性的喪失，遭到企業與部分勞工的反對。隨後通過的第22號提案，將外送員重新定位為獨立承攬人，但附加最低工資、健康保險等部分保障條款，成為一種折衷模式。
The U.S. AB5 Law and Proposition 22
California initially attempted to classify gig workers as employees under the AB5 Law. However, the resulting increase in costs and reduced flexibility led to backlash from both companies and some workers. Proposition 22 was later passed, reclassifying delivery workers as independent contractors but adding minimum wage guarantees, healthcare stipends, and other protections—creating a compromise model.
未來展望：台灣的選擇與可能性 Looking Ahead: What Path Will Taiwan Choose?
法律上的中間地帶林佳和教授建議，台灣可以參考德國的「類似勞工」模式，為外送員設立獨立的法律地位，讓他們能在彈性工作的同時，獲得最低限度的社會保險保障。
A Legal Middle Ground
Professor Lin suggests Taiwan adopt a model similar to Germany’s quasi-employee approach, giving delivery workers an independent legal status. This would allow flexibility while ensuring access to basic social protections.
最低單價保障與透明派單機制陳昱安理事長強調，政府應設立最低單價標準，以確保外送員基本收入。此外，要求平台公開派單算法，讓外送員能更清楚了解接單規則，避免因算法黑箱造成的收入不公。
Minimum Pay and Dispatch Transparency
Union President Chen emphasizes the need for a government-mandated minimum pay per order to protect basic income. He also calls for transparency in dispatch algorithms so that workers can better understand how orders are assigned and avoid unfair losses due to “black box” systems.
Shifting Social Perceptions
社會觀念的改變工會與專家都認為，除政策與法規外，社會對外送員的尊重與認同同樣重要。「疫情期間外送員被譽為『抗疫英雄』，但疫情過後，這份職業卻逐漸被邊緣化。社會需要重新認識外送工作的價值，將其納入勞動體系的核心討論。」
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