Jack Cowin, the billionaire owner of Hungry Jacks and chairman of Domino's Pizza, has railed against contract food delivery companies and called on the government to launch an investigation into their practices.

Key points: Mr Cowin wants companies like Uber Eats, Foodora and other contract delivery services to boost benefits

Mr Cowin wants companies like Uber Eats, Foodora and other contract delivery services to boost benefits Some Domino's franchisees use the contract delivery as well as its own employees

Some Domino's franchisees use the contract delivery as well as its own employees Last year Domino's was caught underpaying workers

Mr Cowin argues that pay and conditions should be standardised and that operations using workers as "contractors" should pay workers the award rate.

"We have the gig society — where people are contractors who are doing delivery, they don't get employee benefits, they don't get penalty rates, they work on a contract rate which is a lot lower so if someone wants to look at wages that's where they should look, that's where people are being paid less," he told The Business.

"Why should a company that employs someone have to pay long service leave and all the various employee benefits and things like these whereas other people have the pseudo sort of philosophy that this is 'I'm a contractor' but they are fulfilling the same function as the employees at our company."

He believes it is unfair that businesses including Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Foodora do not have to pay workers the same as companies like Domino's.

When asked if he thinks there should be a government investigation into the wage disparity, Mr Cowin said: "Yes I do."

"So there are, around the world, protests going on that the gig society, the gig employment basis has to be somewhere equalised, otherwise there will be disjointed payment systems that those people don't get the same benefits, and I think it will happen."

Cowin's company also uses Uber Eats

However, that has not stopped Domino's franchisees using platforms like Uber Eats to make sales and deliver pizzas.

As chairman and major shareholder, Mr Cowin sees the contradiction, but does not agree that franchisees should stop using contract delivery services.

"No, no that's part of their business — what I'm saying is it should be a level playing field in which everyone, whether you're a part-time contractor or a part-time employee in a store, that the benefits should be the same."

So should the Domino's delivery pay go down or should Uber Eats pay more?

"No I think we've got national awards that have been agreed and they're in place and I think the aggregator will have to start providing their 'contractors' with added benefits to have a level playing field."

26 investigations into Domino's after wage fraud evidence

Last year, Domino's franchisees were caught underpaying workers.

The company has been in several battles with workplace regulators over the past 18 months, firstly for wage fraud, then over the terms of its pay agreements.

In November last year, the Fair Work Commission axed Domino's pay agreements, which paid employees significantly below minimum rates.

Months later Domino's abandoned trying to negotiate a new enterprise agreement meaning that its 18,000 employees would remain on the fast food industry award.

An estimate by investment bank Deutsche estimated the decision would add $30 million to Domino's annual wage bill.

Last year the Fairwork Ombudsman had 26 investigations into Domino's Pizza, following evidence of wage fraud.