名为奖励、实为门槛？跑单奖励让骑手陷入不停接单困局******
看似“跳一跳就能够着”，实则掉进“连环套”
跑单奖励让骑手陷入不停接单困局
专家建议，平台算法设计应更人性化，保障骑手身心健康
本报北京2月2日电(记者刘小燕)晚上10点，阿峰送完了最后一单外卖。回家打开软件后，他看到了上月跑单收入的最终数据：1月共收入15401.36元，其中活动奖励收入3342.6元，占比近22%。
春节前后，多名外卖骑手向记者反映，跑单数量越多，获得活动奖励的机会越大，赚取的奖励金额也越高。但名为奖励、实为门槛的设置，也使骑手陷入不停接单的劳动困局，甚至产生安全隐患。
“平台的活动每个月都不一样，但都是需要完成不同门槛的配送任务才有奖励，总之就是要多跑单。”据阿峰介绍，他1月31日参加了早中晚三个时段的“跑单礼”活动。按活动规则，阿峰在9点~15点跑单，完成9单奖励21元，完成21单奖励59元，完成27单奖励87元，完成33单奖励126元。为得到最高奖励，阿峰在该时段跑满了33单获得了126元，但此时他已经7个小时没吃饭了。
由于完成任务量按接单时间计算，有骑手为了接够活动时间段内的单量，还会冒险接单。“有时时间快截止了，单量还没满足奖励门槛，有的骑手就会一边骑车一边刷手机接单。”阿峰说，还有骑手尽管电瓶车电量快耗尽了，也要先接单，就是为了凑够单量，但这样会引发道路危险。
实打实的奖励数字，对骑手而言是有效的激励，却也给他们带来苦恼：一旦某段时间跑单量下降，不仅影响当时收入，还会对后续收入产生影响。在参加工作日“午高峰收入加速”活动时，阿峰的每单奖励有时为1.2元，有时却只有1元。“如果上周送单少，骑手等级就会下降，奖励也就下降了。”阿峰解释说，想要维持高等级，多接单、多送单就少不了。
中国青少年研究中心青年发展研究所副所长郭元凯认为，平台推行的跑单奖励活动是一种用工管理手段，但并非可持续的方式。这种额外激励，很容易诱导骑手产生“跳一跳就能够着”的挑战心理，这就无形中延长了骑手的劳动时间，长时间高强度的工作，增加了骑手身心健康的风险。
阿峰也坦言，跑单奖励活动更像是一串甜蜜的“陷阱”：“就像一个连环套，跑够了第二档奖励，就想着再够上第三档奖励，慢慢就越接越多。全部都想拿最高奖励的话，一天得跑20个小时，一天三顿饭都没法准点吃。”
“不可否认，跑单奖励活动对于增加骑手收入、激发其工作积极性具有积极影响，但骑手应根据身体情况选择合适的工作量，不要把获奖励看作是必须完成的任务。”郭元凯建议，平台应将算法设计得更加人性化，保障骑手的身心健康。
中新网评：美国众议长选举“连续剧”暴露美式民主痼疾******
中新网北京1月9日电(蒋鲤)在15轮投票表决后，美国众议院议长选举这场“连续剧”终于落下帷幕，众议院共和党领袖凯文·麦卡锡最终成功当选第55任美国众议院议长。这是美国国会过去164年来耗时最久的一次议长选举记录，将美国“对抗式民主”的弊端暴露无遗。
资料图：美国众议院共和党领袖麦卡锡。中新社记者 沙晗汀摄
由于两党对立加剧、党派内斗、利益分配不均等因素，众议长选举陷入一场拉锯战。在此次众议长竞选中，美国民主党议员继续抱团，多轮投票中，一票不投麦卡锡，共和党右翼“强硬派”领头的约20人小团体也拒绝投票麦卡锡。
麦卡锡的当选之路一波三折，除了本人的“政治投机派”角色在国会不受欢迎外，与共和党内部政治分歧关系密切。
一方面，共和党党内反对者认为，麦卡锡对民主党态度过于软弱，无力对抗民主党控制的参议院和拜登政府，另一方面，因为共和党的多数优势微弱，党内一些影响力较小的派系的政治力量则被放大，有利于他们巩固自己的选票。
此外，党内反对者也认为，自己的选票没有换取更多利益，希望以此作为筹码换取麦卡锡更大的让步，比如让他们获得众议院重要委员会中的职务。
作为仅次于美国总统、副总统的政坛三号人物，众议院议长通常由众议院多数党领袖担任，选举几乎没有悬念。然而，麦卡锡此次为当选，不得不做出多个关键让步，其中可能包括恢复一项罢黜议长动议机制，使得众议长的权力被削弱，难以掌控众议院。
美国有线电视新闻网CNN称，麦卡锡在这场不合时宜的政治勒索中作出让步，这种绥靖政策只会让极端主义势力更加强大。
这场引发全世界围观的尴尬选举暴露出美国政治存在严重的对立和分化。在权力博弈思维的裹挟下，党派利益凌驾于国家和人民利益之上，美国两党相互拆台，陷入“为反对而反对”的无脑对垒。而即便是一党内，也会因为利益分配问题产生不同的小派系，相互对抗，选票变成了谋利益的工具。
从国会山骚乱到打破记历史记录的15轮众议长选举，“对抗式民主”让美国政治陷入瓶颈，长期对抗势必会让政客们丧失客观公正的判断能力，其政治阶层是否有能力治理国家也会引发质疑。
两党之争和党派内斗进一步放大了美国政治体制弊病，美国所谓的“民主”形象，让全世界大跌眼镜。鼓吹以选民利益为先的美式选举，变成了政客们利益置换的游戏，进一步彰显出美国“民主政治”日渐失能，不断极化的党争已使美国政治制度陷入死循环。
House speaker election reveals deep-rooted problems in U.S. democracy
(ECNS) -- The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as the 55th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after 15 ballots. As the most grueling House speaker election in the past 164 years, the election has highlighted the defects of the country’s "confrontational democracy".
The election once reached a stalemate due to intense partisan strife, inner-party struggle among the Republicans, uneven distribution of interests, and more. Democratic Party members forged a close alliance, refusing to vote for McCarthy, while about 20 Republicans also declined to cast ballots for the GOP leader.
Except for his unpopular role as a "political speculator" in Congress, McCarthy’s hard-won election can be attributed to turmoil within the Republican Party.
On the one hand, opponents in the Republican Party believe that the GOP leader's attitude toward the Democrats is too weak to confront the Senate controlled by Democrats and the Biden administration.
On the other hand, the political power of some less influential factions in the Republican Party has been amplified due to the Party’s weak majority advantage in the House of Representatives, which is conducive to consolidating their ticket warehouses.
Meanwhile, these opponents believe that their votes failed to win them more benefits, hoping to use this as a bargaining chip for McCarthy's further concessions, such as getting them positions in important House Committees.
As the third political figure after the President and Vice President of the U.S., the speaker, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives.
But McCarthy has made many concessions in order to bring the ultra conservatives along, involving what’s known as the “motion to vacate,” a mechanism by which members can force a vote to depose the speaker. The reported concessions will empower individual members at the expense of McCarthy’s sway as speaker.
CNN thought the concessions he made during this unseemly political shakedown would only make the extremist faction more powerful.
This embarrassing election, which has drawn global attention, exposed the serious opposition and polarization in American politics. Both Democrats and Republicans put their interests before that of the country and its people, attacking and opposing each other irrationally.
Besides, different factions arise within a single party and confront each other because of the distribution of interests. Votes have become a tool to win more benefits.
From Capitol riots to the House Speaker election with record-breaking ballots, "confrontational democracy" has become a bottleneck of American politics. Long-term confrontation will surely impede politicians to think objectively and fairly while their capacity of governing the country will also raise doubts among the public.
Both parties’ struggle and infighting among the Republicans have further amplified the defects of the American political system, with its "democratic" image shocking the world.
The U.S.-style election, which advocates putting voters' interests first, has become a game of interest exchange among politicians. In addition, it further demonstrates the malfunction of American "democratic politics" and the constantly polarized party struggle that has trapped the American political system into an infinite cycle.
