From Monday, food delivery workers will get minimum hourly pay. Here’s why it matters

Food delivery workers across Australia will gain minimum hourly pay protections starting Monday, August seventeenth, according to The Conversation (Australia). The Fair Work Commission's new order sets earnings floors based on vehicle type: thirty-one dollars thirty cents an hour for bicycles and e-bikes, thirty-one dollars eighty cents for motorcycles, and thirty-two dollars for cars. These rates apply to 'engaged time'—from accepting a delivery to completing it—and platforms must now provide personal accident insurance. The order results from two years of negotiations between the Transport Workers' Union and the two major platforms, Uber Eats and DoorDash. When these reforms were initially proposed in 2024, Uber predicted 'catastrophic' job losses and price increases up to eighty-five percent, while DoorDash warned prices could triple. Those dire predictions now seem unlikely given how collaboratively both companies engaged in striking this deal. The new standards set a benchmark for pending applications covering rideshare and parcel delivery workers.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton