Food delivery drivers could soon have improved pay, conditions

Improved fair pay and conditions could soon be reality for delivery workers under an ambitious new plan.

Food delivery drivers in Victoria could soon have drastically improved fair pay and conditions under an ambitious plan by the state government.

The election promise was announced by Industrial Relations Minister Tim Pallas on Friday and is intended to promote fairness in dealings between delivery platforms and gig workers.

The impacted workers would also have access to a dedicated support service that would be a move towards tech giants treating the contractors as typical employees.

This service will be a first port of call in helping workers to resolve disputes, providing comprehensive information and referring workers to federal and state agencies and, in some cases, community legal centres.

Food delivery riders could soon have improved conditions. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

Platforms such as Deliveroo, UberEats and DoorDash would have to provide information into how workers’ pay was calculated and if this was impacted by customer ratings.

It follows the 2020 report of the Inquiry into the Victorian On-Demand Workforce and has been developed following consultation with delivery platforms and unions.

The latest Victorian budget allocated $5.6m to implement a response inquiry.

If re-elected, Daniel Andrews’ government would attempt to make the measures law in 2023 after initially introducing them as voluntary after being introduced in the first quarter of next year.

A spokesman for Uber said the platform welcomes the changes and said similar reform should take place at a Federal level.

“Gig workers play an important role in our communities and in our economy,” he said.

“We are committed to industry-wide reform that ensures earnings protections and minimum standards for everyone in the gig economy, and we have welcomed the Government’s collaborative approach with industry in drafting these voluntary standards.”

Mr Pallas said the changes would help the often vulnerable section of the workforce to understand their rights.

“The standards will provide certainty and clarity for workers who lack bargaining power and all too often don’t have clear information about their working arrangements or any means to challenge unfair practices,” he said.

Industrial Relations Minister Tim Pallas said the new laws would help the vulnerable members of the workforce. Picture: David Crosling

“We commissioned the initial inquiry and accepted its recommendations, and now the standards and support service will make a real difference for thousands of workers.

“We know platforms want to do the right thing by the people they engage to do their work – we expect an enthusiastic response to these important reforms.”

Mr Pallas said how platform companies adopted the voluntary standard will be one of the factors considered in developing the gig economy laws.