Carnell must open her eyes to real problems in trucking, says TWU

• The Secretary's Desk
• 15th September 2016

Carnell must open her eyes to real problems in trucking, says TWU

15 September 2016 

Press Release from the WA Branch of the Transport Workers Union

Truck drivers in Western Australia have slammed a report by Employment Minister Michaelia Cash and Small Business Ombudsman Kate Carnell for ignoring the problems stemming from low rates, such as suicide, bankruptcies and high workplace deaths and injuries.

The report blames these problems on an Order which was in place for just two weeks and which was delivering safe minimum rates for drivers and a guarantee for drivers to be paid within 30 days of completing work.

The Order was also holding wealthy supermarkets to account for the minimum rates – a point which never sat well with the Liberal Party, given its financial links to wealthy retailers.

TWU WA State Secretary, Tim Dawson says: “What Ms Carnell has seen in her few weeks travelling around Australia is only a snap shot of the problems in transport. These problems have been there for years and continue today.”

“Our industry desperately needs safe and sustainable rates to relieve pressures and the desperation of drivers to achieve unsustainable time frames of dodgy, dishonest clients, something the safe rates system would bring in.”

The report by Ms Carnell, former Liberal Chief Minister for ACT, is a highly politicised study, with inquiry sessions held in the days leading up to the Federal Election in July.

The report recommends the ACCC and the Department of Treasury work on a code of conduct. Such a code will not solve the problem of the stranglehold of wealthy retailers on the transport industry and nor will it ensure they are held accountable for low cost transport contracts.