The Fair Work Commission's new order sets minimum hourly rates from $31.30 for food and grocery delivery gig workers nationwide
New minimum pay and safety standards for on-demand delivery workers took effect today (17 August), as the Fair Work Commission's (FWC) first-ever Minimum Standards Order came into force across Australia.
The Interim On-Demand Delivery Employee-like Worker Minimum Standards Order sets binding pay floors for so-called "employee-like workers" – independent contractors engaged through an app to deliver food, beverages or groceries – and the digital labour platform operators, such as Uber Eats and DoorDash, that engage them.
Under the order, platforms must top up a worker's pay if earnings over a period of up to 21 days fall below a minimum floor, calculated by multiplying "engaged time" by set hourly rates: $31.30 for workers with no vehicle or on a bicycle or e-scooter, $31.50 for those on a motorcycle, and $32 for car or van deliveries up to one tonne capacity.
What the order means for workers and platforms
Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth said workers and businesses covered by the order should read up on the new minimum standards, adding that education is the first step toward compliance.
The order also gives workers dispute resolution rights and unpaid time away from the app – though they won't be paid during that time – along with rules on vehicle repairs, insurance, record-keeping and consultation on major changes.
The rates sit above Australia's national minimum wage. Reuters reported that the order is expected to benefit roughly 250,000 workers, and that Transport Workers' Union national secretary Michael Kaine described the standards as world-leading and something to build on over time in a joint statement with Uber Eats and DoorDash.
A first for the road transport sector
The order follows years of campaigning by the TWU and builds on the Closing Loopholes reforms passed in 2023 and 2024, which gave the FWC power to set standards for regulated workers.
As HRD reported when the order was first approved, it followed a joint proposal from the TWU, Uber Eats and DoorDash — coverage HRD has tracked through the push for minimum wage protections and proposed procedural rule changes at the Commission.
The Commission has said it will review the order once related applications covering last-mile road transport contractors progress further.
