China state news agency urges end to long work hours in tech

A file photo of workers on duty at the headquarters of Pinduoduo, an e-commerce platform, in Shanghai. Xinhua News Agency is calling for shorter work hours in the country’s tech sector following the sudden death of a young employee at the leading e-commerce platform. — Chinatopix via AP

BEIJING: China’s official Xinhua News Agency is calling for shorter work hours in the country’s tech sector following the sudden death last week of a young employee at a leading e-commerce platform.

Last month’s tragedy refocused attention on “the pain of an abnormal culture of overtime”, Xinhua said in a brief editorial posted Tuesday on its Twitter-like Weibo account.