Cost of Uber Eats, Deliveroo could skyrocket

Two of Australia's most powerful worker's unions are leading a push to have food delivery drivers paid more, pushing up the cost of services like Uber Eats and Deliveroo.

The Transport Workers Union and the Australian Workers' Union are pushing for drivers to be paid a minimum wage of $24 an hour, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Plans to regulate the industry could see drivers move from a casual working basis to a more formal employment model, with the unions set to bring this package to Labor's national conference in July.

Under the unions' plan, Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Foodora and other similar services would be forced to pay workers superannuation and a minimum number of hours per shift.

A spokesman for Uber told the Daily Telegraph the move would destroy its flexible work arrangements, which was why 94 percent of its drivers worked with the company.

The move comes after a court in the UK in November ruled drivers should be classed as workers with minimum wage rights and holiday pay.