AUSTRALIAN food delivery drivers will receive a minimum hourly rate of AUS$31.30 (£16.40) an hour from next week.

The Fair Work Commission issued the new standards for the gig economy drivers following an application by the Transport Workers Union as well as employers UberEats and DoorDash.

The agreement does not introduce a minimum wage, as drivers and riders will not be compensated for time spent waiting for jobs, but applies to “engaged time,” the time between accepting an order and delivering it — so workers would continue to earn if waiting for a restaurant to prepare an order, for example. The union has accepted the drivers being defined as “employee-like” workers rather than full employees.

The Fair Work Commission gained the right to dictate minimum standards through employment rights reforms of Australia’s Labour government, and some other sectors — such as parcel delivery — are awaiting rulings.

The commission also made drivers responsible for their own third-party insurance but ordered platforms to provide a “reasonable minimum level” of personal accident cover.