Delivery drivers in Australia will be paid a minimum rate of $31.30 (US $22.05/£16.35) an hour and insured for injuries on the job under a landmark agreement approved by the industrial umpire that could set a precedent in other countries. The Fair Work Commission (FWC) on Tuesday issued a new minimum standards order for gig workers who perform on-demand delivery of food, drinks, or groceries, and the operators of the digital platforms who engage their services. The Transport Workers’ Union, representing the gig workers, had jointly applied with major platforms DoorDash and UberEats for the new protections in 2024, after years of talks. The TWU, DoorDash and UberEats made the joint application to the FWC after the Albanese government introduced workplace reforms in 2023, which included empowering the industrial umpire to set minimum standards for gig workers. “This [FWC] order is a big step in delivering Australia’s world-leading gig worker protections and means food delivery workers don’t have to trade off flexibility for fairer protections,” she said.