Airtasker has agreed to minimum working conditions for its service providers.

Airtasker connects people who need jobs done around the house with people willing to do them.

Like a lot of new, tech-based service providers, the company has traditionally resisted any kinds of standards and regulation, other than its rating system.

Workers hired on Airtasker have not been financially protected for injuries on the job, and the service has lacked formal dispute-resolution processes. 

But this is about to change, with Airtasker agreeing to provide some basic working conditions for service providers after talks with Unions NSW, in a major move for the so-called ‘gig economy’.

Mark Morey, secretary of Unions NSW, said the Fair Work Act “is always slow to move”.

“So the union movement has taken it upon itself to work with these gig-economy providers to actually bring some, I guess you could say, lawfulness to the sector,” he told reporters.

Airtasker has agreed to above comparative award rates, and an agreement to work with Unions NSW on best practice workplace health and safety standards.

Airtasker CEO Tim Fung says the company is “absolutely committed” to working with regulators.

“And working with people that want to create a good environment for [Airtasker users],” he said.

But Mr Fung said Airtasker should not have to take all responsibility.

“So that's for example, making sure that workers know what they have to do to provide a good service,” he said.

“It's also about job posters — the people requesting work — knowing that they have to create a safe environment for somebody coming over to their house.

“And we found that many people don't know what these responsibilities are.”

Unions NSW says legislative reform should redefine what constitutes a ‘contractor’.

“At the moment it's a very grey area and once you're termed as a contractor you basically don't have any employer/employee rights,” he said.

“What we're saying is these people aren't contractors, they're employees, they deserve rights, they deserve decency and fairness and that's what we need to get implemented in our system.”

The unions what similar moves to improve safety and standards at other online companies like Foodora and Uber.

“This is a start, it's a very positive start,” Mr Morey said.

“Airtasker have taken a leadership role in the gig economy by making this decision and we'd like to see out other gig providers follow their lead.”