A courier participates in a ride safety competition in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Dec 10, 2021. More than 100 staff members from 11 delivery companies took part in the event. [Photo by Liang Xu/Xinhua]

A draft amendment to strengthen protection for people engaged in new forms of business, such as deliverymen and drivers with ride-hailing services, will be reviewed by lawmakers next week, a senior legislator said on Friday.

The draft amendment to the Trade Union Law will be submitted for review to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislative body, which will begin its session on Monday.

Yue Zhongming, spokesman for the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission, told media on Friday that the law was amended to better support to deliverymen and drivers  because the number of people involved in these new sectors has been on the increase in recent years.

He added that trade unions are expected to extend their coverage to better protect the rights and interests of a wider swathe of the work force.

Yue also said that lawmakers will review a number of other draft laws next week, including ones related to organized crime, wetland protection, and the prevention and control of noise pollution.