Delivery drivers to be paid minimum $31.30 an hour across Australia in ‘world-leading’ decision
Guardian AU
•Tue, 11 Aug 2026 08:25:41 GMT
📰 What Happened
Watchdogs and riders for delivery apps will get a guaranteed $31.30 an hour from 17 August, plus company-paid accident insurance. The Fair Work Commission approved the minimum standards order after years of talks between the Transport Workers’ Union, DoorDash, and UberEats. It is billed as a world-first ruling for gig delivery workers.
🔍 The Backstory
Delivery drivers sit on a grey legal line: they are treated as independent contractors, so they miss out on minimum wages, sick leave, and injury cover. Unions and platforms spent years negotiating a compromise that gives riders basic protections without scrapping the gig model.
🎯 Why It Matters
Millions of Australians order food and groceries on these apps, and tens of thousands of riders make a living delivering them. Guaranteeing a minimum hourly rate and injury insurance gives riders a safer, fairer income and sets a benchmark other countries may copy.
Watchdogs and riders for delivery apps will get a guaranteed $31.30 an hour from 17 August, plus company-paid accident insurance. The Fair Work Commission approved the minimum standards order after years of talks between the Transport Workers’ Union, DoorDash, and UberEats. It is billed as a world-first ruling for gig delivery workers.
Delivery drivers sit on a grey legal line: they are treated as independent contractors, so they miss out on minimum wages, sick leave, and injury cover. Unions and platforms spent years negotiating a compromise that gives riders basic protections without scrapping the gig model.
Millions of Australians order food and groceries on these apps, and tens of thousands of riders make a living delivering them. Guaranteeing a minimum hourly rate and injury insurance gives riders a safer, fairer income and sets a benchmark other countries may copy.