Australians may pay ‘tiny bit extra’ on pizza delivery as government announces new gig economy rules

Labor’s closing loopholes bill will give the Fair Work Commission power to set minimum standards for gig economy workers on digital platforms. Photograph: Artem Varnitsin/Alamy

The price of home-delivered food and ride sharing may have to go up as a “modest pass-through” to consumers to pay for minimum conditions in the gig economy, Tony Burke has said.

Burke, the workplace relations minister, argued at the National Press Club on Thursday that “underpaying” workers is cheaper for consumers but a “tiny bit extra” is a small price to pay for conditions that improve rider safety.