Doorstop interview, Canberra

AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS: It’s great to be here with some of our fantastic last mile delivery drivers, of course their union, the TWU, to talk about what a historic day today is. Today is the first day that the new minimum standards apply for those last mile food delivery drivers. This minimum standard has been put in place and takes effect today and will provide certainty for so many delivery drivers which they have been lacking in the past.

For too long in this country, our last mile delivery drivers had to rely on tips to survive, at many times falling through the cracks of our safety net. They also, as we just heard, put their lives on the line, but did not have the protection of insurance as a result. And so if they got injured, had nothing to as a safety net to pay them for their wages and to ensure that they kept getting income that they needed.

So today's minimum standard is so historic, and I would like to congratulate a number of the workers behind me who have campaigned tirelessly. This standard was put in place as a result of the Labor Government legislating that the Fair Work Commission could make an order to ensure that there were some minimum standards. But it took both the TWU and DoorDash and Uber Eats along with the workers to sit down and negotiate what that minimum standard is.

And today, we now have a minimum rate for an active hour of work at $31.30, up to $32.00. That will make a big impact for those workers when they are active, not getting paid that amount. Importantly, there is insurance will be part of this, of course, consultation provisions, along with, of course, rights for workers to represent their union and delegates' rights.

This has been a really historic, first in the world achievement, and I'd like to congratulate everyone that's involved, that's been through this process. I would like to acknowledge DoorDash and Uber Eats along with the TWU, who have worked really constructively together, and shows that we can improve workers' rights in this country in a collaborative, cooperative way, and today is a day that really demonstrates that.

JOURNALIST: Thank you Minister. I might just ask you one question. Can you- you’ve sort of touched on it there, but can you just explain why today is such a milestone in this area?

AMANDA RISHWORTH: Today is a milestone because previously- I'll start again. So, we have a safety net in this country when it comes pay and conditions, we have the minimum wage. What we have seen is the evolution of what's now being called gig work, and that is where workers turn up and they work but they have fallen through that safety net with no guarantee of pay and conditions.

What the decision today represents is that it acknowledges the flexibility that many gig workers like being able to clock on and clock off, but when they are clocked on and working, that they will get a minimum pay and of course, importantly, things like insurance. Other workers get work cover. These workers have been forgotten.

So what's so historic about today is that for the gaps that had been exposed in our safety net, we have now closed them. And we've closed them through legislation, but importantly, we've closed it through the union and, of course, the employers working together to recognise that these workers behind me deserve a minimum standard of pay, and a minimum standard of protection, which they have not enjoyed before.

JOURNALIST: Minister, do these new minimum standards go far enough? AMANDA RISHWORTH: There is progress underway to ensure we get the balance right when it comes to flexibility. We have, in our legislation, been really clear that this is an employee-like.

So we recognise that this is not a direct employment relationship, and indeed the rest of the world is looking at us about how we are delivering this. We also recognise that the concept that these drivers and riders are contractors is also not right. So this is a really historic day for workers.

I was just hearing before, this could be up to $200 a week more. But it's not just the increase in the pay, it's the certainty about the pay, and that is what's really critical. Of course, we hope to see more of these minimum standards in place, and we will look and of course start to see these rolled out.

But we think this is incredibly important for a basic pay, a minimum pay, and of course, that insurance that ensures that if a worker gets injured, then they will be covered by insurance to make sure that they are protected. JOURNALIST: Minister, it's a big win for workers, but would you hope that the extra costs of putting this in isn’t all passed straight on to the customer in higher prices for delivery food and groceries?

AMANDA RISHWORTH: Look, I'll be really clear, both DoorDash and Uber Eats have publicly said that this is sustainable. This is a sustainable model that supports them. So I expect, as we do across the board, that we don't accept not having a minimum standard of pay in this country.

We don't accept in this country that people should just work for tips. We expect that there is a minimum wages and conditions in this country and I expect, considering how collaborative it's been, that we will not see this being unsustainable when it comes to the cost passed on to people. JOURNALIST: Thanks.

Okay. Questions for? MICHAEL KAINE, NATIONAL SECRETARY OF THE TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION: Yeah, thanks.

Michael Kaine, National Secretary of the Transport Workers Union. This is a historic day today. The workers behind me have been fighting hard for the better part of a decade.

They've lost 25 of their colleagues in accidents in that period of time. And today they get the opportunity to go home in the knowledge that they are able start thinking about building some confidence, some financial security, and to know that some of those pressures are going to be lifted from them. This is a world first.

The eyes of the world are on Australia today, I want to thank the Minister, of course I want to thank the Albanese Government as well, because this was a bold move in 2022 to announce that gig economy was going to be regulated, and then in 2024 to do it through the Loopholes Bill. And what that's done is it said to the entire nation, but to the world at large, that you don't have to have a trade-off between flexibility and modern work and decent working conditions.

And I want to pay tribute also to the companies who have joined us on this journey. It's been a little bit difficult at times but they've joined us on this journey and it worked really constructively, particularly over the last 18 months, to put a consent position before the Fair Work Commission This is how industrial relations can work in Australia - where common sense prevails, where a framework of rights encourages that common sense, and where companies workers, unions, come together to make a difference, a real difference to the lives of working Australian.

And I know that Maggie Lloyd from DoorDash here today, maybe she can say a few words, and then a couple of words if you’d like to say a few words. MAGGIE LLOYD, HEAD OF PUBLIC POLICY, DOORDASH: Yes. Thank you, Michael, and thank you, Minister.

It's great to be here, this is a great day for the tens of thousands of workers who are doing such an important job across the community and across the economy - delivering food and groceries, not just for families and households on the budget but also to small businesses who rely on us for their incremental income. We're really proud to have worked with the Transport Workers Union over many years, actually, to support these reforms.

It has taken time, but I think it proves what can be done when unions and businesses work together to get a good outcome. And what we're seeing today is that workers who really value the flexibility they get through platforms like ours continue to access that, while also knowing they have a safety net place that fits them. JOURNALIST: Maybe I'll start with you.

What is good about these for industry? MAGGIE LLOYD: Well, it provides certainty for industry. Like I said, after many years the debate about what these regulations would like for this kind of work, we now have a framework that does that.

And it means workers can continue to appreciate the flexibility that this platform work offers, while also having standards and a secure safety net in place. JOURNALIST: It's an interim order. Do you expect the minimum pay rate for these workers to affect GDP?

MAGGIE LLOYD: I mean, I think the important thing about the rate of pay that's been negotiated with the Transport Workers Union, it was put forward to the Fair Work Commission and it's come into effect today. It's the first time there's a legally binding rate of pay, which is really, really significant and something to be celebrated. In terms of future adjustments, we've worked through that with the union and the Fair Work Commission.

JOURNALIST: And on that question of passing on costs to customers, will there be an increased cost to customers from today? MAGGIE LLOYD: We're really focused on affordability on our platform. We know Australian households are doing it tough, that's why we have a lot of options on the platform - Aldi, Costco, Woolies - to provide value for households.

We're not intending to increase prices or rates for restaurants as a result of this order. We think it’s at a sustainable level. JOURNALIST: You spoke about this a bit before, but can you talk about how seriously the safety issues affect the workers?

MICHAEL KAINE: Well, this is the Wild West, this was the Wild West. We had gig company's coming to this country about 2012 in rideshares, and then about 2015 in food delivery. They pushed workers deliberately outside of the employment relationship.

So those terms and conditions and safely features that are part of the employment relationship - workers' compensation, occupational health and safety, and minimum wage with a right to leave, a right to sick leave - none of those applied. And what that meant, of course, is that workers we're under incredible pressure. Add to that, that they're in effective competition with each other.

A job comes through on an app, they're navigating city traffic, they have to press the app to get the job done. They then have to make sure they do the job in a timely manner, and if they don't they run the risk of a poor rating or an algorithm that kicks them off the app. Now until March last year, they could be kicked off the app – effectively sacked by an algorithm without recourse.

Part of the loopholes laws the Albanese Government put in place for unfair deactivation rights, we now see a much more realistic and structured approach to work as a result of that. And today is the next step. Today we see pressure has been lifted because workers know they'll get a minimum pay of $31.30 an hour.

Workers know that they have consultation rights with their union, that they have a consultation forum with companies. They know that their colleagues will be informed about all of these rights, because the gig worker’s information sheet will be sent out to them today, setting out all of these rights and saying they can join the union. This is a monumental step forward, giving confidence but also lifting those pressures that had existed on there.

Utsav? UTSAV, DELIVERY DRIVER: Yeah, did you want me to talk? Yeah, it's been a roller coaster right from the beginning.

My name is Utsav, I'm based in Canberra. I spent most of my life working as a full-time delivery worker for Uber, DoorDash, Menulog, [indistinct]…, and every other platform. And I'm a proud TW member and a Delegate for the Transport Workers Union.

This feels surreal. And I really want to take us back to where we really started. When we started we were promised gig work was the future.

But for the workers that are standing behind me, it was a future that was built on unsafe pay and conditions. I joined because I was attracted by the flexibility of the work. But soon we realised that this flexibility came with a price.

There has been many deaths, and I want to really acknowledge the deaths of our many colleagues in our role. It takes many hands doing something like this, and I really want to thank Senator Tony Sheldon who's been a fierce advocate right from the beginning. And he was so passionate that when I first met with him in the Parliament, well, I thought he was a food delivery person.

I really want to thank the leader of our union, Michael Kaine, the Secretary of the Transport Workers Union. Michael, you have given us the courage and confidence every day to go out and organise workers and fight back. And because of that confidence we are here today.

And I want to really thank each and every one of… …the workers in the Transport Workers Union and everybody who campaigned ton this because it’s because of you we’re here today. And especially to a man, Jack [indistinct]… who's not here today, but when we first joined Jack really taught us what it truly means to be a union. And more importantly, he told us that it's incumbent on us as members to decide the future of the Union - whether we make it a strong union or a weak union.

He told us that it's the ordinary people who refuse the injustice that win. And today, it’s about that. It's about the audacity of these workers to be in a union meeting after working for 12 hours without earning a minimum wage.

It's about the audacity of these workers who share their stories in the media with courage. It's about the audacity of these workers to fight back. And I really want to thank each and every one of the drivers that are here today.