Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has agreed to extensive changes to Labor’s proposed gig economy laws to enshrine worker flexibility and limit the introduction of traditional employment conditions such as penalty rates in a bid to address platform concerns and win over the Senate crossbench.

Uber, Menulog and Doordash welcomed the government’s concessions on its Closing Loopholes Bill regulation, which would also restrict minimum engagement periods and payments between tasks, after raising concerns that imposing award-style conditions on gig workers could result in huge price rises for delivery and ride-share services.