Gig workers: Kenyans working in delivery in Australia to earn KSh 4k per hour

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- Australia's Fair Work Commission approved a minimum standards order guaranteeing delivery drivers at least $31.30 per hour from August 17, 2026

- The Transport Workers' Union jointly applied for the new protections alongside major platforms DoorDash and UberEats after years of negotiations

- The new order also requires delivery platforms to organise and pay for personal accident insurance for their workers

Elijah Ntongai is an experienced editor at TUKO.co.ke, with more than four years in financial, business, labour and technology research and reporting. His work provides valuable insights into Kenyan, African, and global trends.

Australia's industrial umpire has approved a minimum hourly pay rate of $31.30 (approximately KSh 4,000) for on-demand delivery drivers, in a ruling hailed as a world first for gig worker protections.

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) issued the new minimum standards order on Tuesday, with the conditions set to take effect from 17 August 2026.

The order covers workers who perform on-demand delivery of food, drinks, or groceries through digital platforms, including those hired on an ad hoc basis.

The workplace relations minister, Amanda Rishworth, on Tuesday said the resulting standards were a “milestone”.

“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.

New Pay Rates and What They Mean for Kenyans

The minimum rate will range from $31.30 to $32 per hour depending on the mode of transport used, with push bike riders and car drivers attracting different rates.

The rates are structured to ensure workers are compensated even during idle time, such as waiting for restaurant orders. From 1 January 2027, all minimum rates will increase by a further 50 cents per hour.

At the current exchange rate of approximately 91 Kenyan shillings to one Australian dollar, the base rate of $31.30 translates to roughly KSh 4,000 per hour.

A Kenyan working a standard eight-hour shift would take home around KSh 32,000, while a full 40-hour week would yield approximately KSh 160,000. Monthly earnings based on 160 working hours would amount to around KSh 640,000.

How the Agreement Was Reached

The joint application to the FWC was filed in 2024 by the Transport Workers' Union (TWU), DoorDash, and UberEats, following the Albanese government's 2023 workplace reforms that granted the commission authority to set minimum standards for gig workers.

The process included public submissions from gig workers, Amazon, Australia Post, and other interested parties before the commission approved the conditions.

As part of the agreement, the union accepted the classification of workers as "employee-like" rather than full employees, a concession that allowed platforms to retain the flexible engagement model central to their business.

In a joint statement, the TWU, UberEats, and DoorDash said the standards would provide "an industry-wide safety net for hundreds of thousands of workers while preserving the flexibility that sits at the heart of on-demand work."

Worker Protections Beyond Pay

Beyond pay, the order requires platforms to arrange and fund personal accident insurance offering a reasonable minimum level of cover, addressing a longstanding gap that left gig workers without financial recourse following workplace injuries.

The standards also introduce clearer dispute resolution processes and grant workers the right to unpaid time off. Workers remain responsible for third-party vehicle insurance.

Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth described the outcome as a "milestone," saying the 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."

For Kenyans already working in Australia's food delivery sector, the new protections offer both improved earnings and greater financial security on the job.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.