Australia is bringing in ‘world first’ minimum pay for food delivery drivers – here’s how it will work
Food delivery companies in Australia have teamed up with the Transport Workers’ Union to set new minimum standards for delivery drivers, including a minimum hourly wage and accident insurance for injuries sustained on the job.In a deal described as a “world first”, the country’s two largest food delivery services, DoorDash and Uber Eats, have submitted a joint application with the Transport Workers’ Union to the Fair Work Commission.The deal still requires approval from the industrial umpire, but here’s what we know so far.The application to the FWC comes after a wide range of workplace reforms was introduced by the Albanese government, which included empowering the industrial umpire to set minimum standards for gig workers.DoorDash, Uber Eats and the TWU have agreed on new protections for delivery drivers after years of talks.
The deal is likely to have involved concessions from either side of the negotiating table, including the union agreeing to call the workers “employee-like”.Among the protections that would be legally enforceable under the new standards is a minimum “safety net” rate of pay of at least $31.30 an hour which would come into effect from 1 July 2026 and increase slightly from 1 January 2027.The safety net would apply to all modes of transport used by delivery drivers, with the rate varying slightly depending on the type of vehicle used.The protections also include new dispute resolution processes, new engagement and feedback mechanisms, representation rights and accident insurance for injured workers.
Eric Ireland, a driver in Melbourne who has worked for several platforms, believes the new standards will result in an increase in pay because it means he and his colleagues will get paid even if they have to wait for a restaurant to finish preparing the food.“The peace of mind that you are actually getting paid while you’re on the job … can only be a good thing,” he says.Ireland says while some working conditions have improved since he started delivering food six years ago, pay has not kept up with the cost of living.“I sort of worked out on average I get about $22 an hour before I pay for petrol,” he says.“Sometimes you can earn a lot more than that if you do what they call a ‘quest’, which is doing 10 jobs in a weekend or something.
”However, as the workplace relations expert Prof Alex Veen points out, the safety net is different to a “minimum wage” in the way you may typically think of one,The deal does not include penalty rates for things such as working late at night and, Veen says, the minimum hourly rate does not apply to time spent waiting between delivery jobs,“What it materially means for gig workers is that when they’re working in periods of low demand they are unlikely to make that as their hourly pay,” Veen, a lecturer at the University of Sydney’s business school, says,But he says there are many positives to the deal, including clarifying who is responsible for insuring both vehicles and the workers themselves,The application to the FWC states that workers are responsible for maintaining third-party insurances on the vehicles they use for deliveries, so if they get in an accident and damage another vehicle the delivery platform will not be liable for the cost.
On the other hand, Uber Eats and DoorDash will have to organise and pay for personal accident insurance that “provides a reasonable minimum level of cover” for their delivery workers.As Veen points out, that is “obviously open to interpretation”.The TWU says 23 gig workers have been killed in Australia since 2017 and the figure could be higher because some are never reported as workplace deaths.While Uber Eats and DoorDash are yet to confirm how they plan to fund an increase in operating costs, Veen says the platforms are most likely to pass them on to consumers.“They may try to pass some of the costs on to restaurants and they could take a smaller [profit] margin themselves, although that’s not in their interests to do so,” he says.
Dr Michael Rawling, an associate professor who teaches workplace law at the University of Technology Sydney, says there may be a small increase in the price of a takeaway ordered through a third-party delivery app,“In Australia we like to see workers treated fairly and if the consumer knows that then I think they’ll cop a small increase,” he says,Rawling agrees the deal is “world leading” and “very significant”,He says while the deal hasn’t been ratified by the FWC, the “major players” who will be affected by the new standard have agreed on its content, which the industrial umpire will factor into its decision,“[Typically] what the parties have actually consented to is a preferred direction for the FWC to go into for that particular matter,” he says.
The FWC needs to approve the deal before it can come into effect.Prof Andrew Stewart, a workplace relations expert at the Queensland University of Technology, says it is “not a done deal”, especially as the FWC will have to consult with other stakeholders – including other delivery platforms.“Potentially a huge fly in the ointment is that the FWC is going to have to come to a view as to whether the workers are eligible for a minimum standards order,” he says.“Because there’s a perfectly credible argument that the workers are already employees [and not employee-like].”Stewart says if the FWC ruled that food delivery drivers were employees and not “employee-like” this would be a landmark ruling that would likely result in a challenge from the delivery platforms that could go all the way to the high court.
He is not ruling out this outcome, even though he says it is more likely the FWC will accept the application as it stands.“I do not want to understate the significance of this deal,” he says.“It is a really important agreement that makes it much more likely we will get a minimum standards order much more quickly than we would if the TWU and the platforms were fighting over the details.”Overall, Stewart says the agreement on the application brings Australia a lot closer to having a safety net for at least one part of the gig economy.It could also influence future FWC decisions relating to minimum standards.
At the moment, the commission is considering similar gig workers in other sectors including package delivery,And the TWU has previously flagged it will submit an application to cover ride-share drivers,
Fluffy and fabulous! 17 ways with marshmallows – from cheesecake to salad to an espresso martini
They come into their own around Thanksgiving in the US, used alongside savoury dishes, as well as in desserts. Now is the time to try them with sweet potatoes, in a strawberry mousse, or even with soupThe connection between marsh mallow the herbaceous perennial, also known as althaea officinalis, and marshmallow the puffy cylindrical sweet, is historic. In the 19th century, the sap of the plant was still a key ingredient of its confectionary namesake, along with sugar and egg whites. But that connection has long been severed: the modern industrial marshmallow is derived from a mixture of sugar, water and gelatine. Its main ingredient is air
The Shaston Arms, London W1: ‘Just because you can do things doesn’t mean you should do them’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants
A pub that wants to be an old-school boozer and a cool restaurant both at the same timeWhile perched inside what felt like a repurposed bookshelf at the draughty back end of the Shaston Arms, sitting next to the dumb waiter and waiting for the ping to herald the arrival of my £16 plate of red mullet with squid ink rice, I had time to consider yet again the so-called “pub revival” in cool modern hospitality. Old boozers are reclaimed, reloved and restored, and the great tradition of going down the pub is celebrated. The Devonshire in nearby Piccadilly is, of course, the daddy, the Darth Vader of this trend, winning plaudits, TikTok adoration and celebrity fans aplenty. So it’s no wonder that myriad other hospitality operators have cast an eye over their local neglected fleapit and thought: “Let’s buy some Mr Sheen, give that old hovel a polish and start serving duck à l’orange and flourless chocolate tart. It’s all the rage! Gen Z loves it!”Whether Gen Z really does love anything about the pub experience as it was in the 20th century is debatable, however, because inside these poshed-up spit-and-sawdust boozers, all the phlegm and fag ash has gone – as have the dartboards, pool tables, punch-ups, topless women on KP peanut pub cards and the ever-present bar-fly alcoholic drinking himself yellow while droning on about his marital problems
Goblets of borscht, turkey-shaped madeleines: why Martha Stewart’s fantastical menus are still an inspiration
The celebrations were imminent and the greenhouse ready to accommodate – among the orchids, in unseasonable November warmth – an intimate Hawaiian luau. The table was set with giant clam shells for serving vessels and miniature hibachis for grilling Dungeness crab. Somebody had found a small, pink pineapple and secured it on the watermelon like a brooch. The hostess considered the merits of a hula dancer, but in the end settled on a more succinct spectacle: a 19lb suckling pig, enwreathed with sub-tropical flowers and caparisoned in bronze.It was, and could only ever have been, a Martha Stewart affair
Winter has finally kicked in – it’s time to crack out the casserole dish and get stewing
At the risk of sounding like a British cliche, can we take a moment to discuss the change in the weather? This week’s sudden drop in temperature has our house excited for potential snow (the children are giddy), with everything suddenly feeling a lot more wintry. New coats are on the hooks, thermals are being dug out and a casserole dish filled with some sort of soup, stew or stock seems to be permanently ticking away on the hob. These range from quick, warming weeknight dinners to leisurely, slow-cooked weekend meals.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link
Helen Goh’s recipe for cranberry, orange and ginger upside-down cake | The sweet spot
Bright, tart cranberries are one of the most vivid flavours of the Thanksgiving table, but they often play a supporting role to turkey and stuffing. Here, however, they take centre stage in a sparkling upside-down cake, and their ruby tones gleam over a tender, orange-scented crumb. The batter is enriched with soured cream, ensuring every bite is a balance of sweet, sharp and soft.A note about the cranberries: if using frozen, do not defrost them first.Prep 10 min Cook 1 hr 15 min, plus cooling Serves 8-10For the cranberry caramel base 60g unsalted butter 100g light brown sugar 1 tbsp fresh orange juice2 tsp finely grated ginger⅛ tsp flaky sea salt250g fresh or frozen cranberriesFor the cake batter150g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda ¼ tsp fine sea salt 120g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing150g caster sugar Finely grated zest of 1 orange 2 large eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 120g full-fat soured creamGrease a 20cm round cake tin (at least 5cm deep, and not springform), then line the base and sides with baking paper
Why nonalcoholic spirits go from strength to strength
It’s time to start thinking about the C word. You might well already have plans to stock up for house guests who are drinking, but what about those who aren’t? It’s a good opportunity to think about how we might jazz up our non-alcoholic offering for friends and family who are trying to drink less, or not drinking booze at all. Sometimes, your friend will just want a Fanta, but I don’t like being the one to offer it to them. We can do better than that.The Guardian’s journalism is independent
UK politics: Risk of Maccabi Tel Aviv facing antisemitic attacks not ‘predominant’ reason for match ban, police tell MPs – as it happened
Political corrrectness that made me laugh | Brief letters
Two peers suspended from House of Lords for breaking lobbying rules
Lords rules and culture make it easy for peers to abuse privileged position
Reform UK claim to have saved £331m at English councils – but do the numbers stack up?
Politicians urge Labour to restore Electoral Commission independence