Chinese authorities have detained a worker after he advocated for fair pay and other labor rights from his former employer, the food delivery giant Ele.me.

Chen Tianhe has not been heard from since he was detained on Feb. 25, according to mainland Chinese media reports. The night before he disappeared, he wrote in a WeChat group, “If I can’t speak tomorrow afternoon, that means I’m in trouble.”

An Ele.me source confirmed that Chen had been detained by authorities and was no longer a food delivery worker for the company.

Long criticized for its harsh labor practices, Ele.me apologized last month for setting targets for holiday bonus pay which workers said were “impossible” to achieve. The company set the targets to entice couriers to work over the Lunar New Year holidays amid COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Chen, who self-publishes commentary videos on social media, once claimed that his words represented the opinion of 70% of delivery workers. He has around 45,000 followers on Douyin and 72,000 followers on Kuaishou, two of China’s biggest video-sharing apps.

“I have always tried to represent the collective interests of couriers, and to campaign for some reasonable demands on social media, so [delivery workers] tend to trust me,” he previously told reporters.

Chen reportedly played a key part getting Ele.me to apologize, and at one point was planning a labor strike. He had around 14,000 friends on WeChat, who he said consisted entirely of delivery workers.

After Ele.me apologized, Chen said couriers cared more about actions than words, and were concerned about whether the platform would keep its promise to pay the bonuses.

Two people who have been detained alongside Chen have reportedly been released. A WeChat user who claimed to be Chen’s sister said she was unable to get official confirmation of Chen’s detention.

Chen’s social media accounts have not been updated recently, and mainland journalists have been unable to reach him for comment.

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