Linfox boss lays down law to fleet-owners

• General News
• 2nd March 2012

Linfox has warned it intends strictly policing TWU negotiated conditions on the use of sub-contractors and ownerdrivers.

The company’s President of Human Resources, Laurie D’Apice, has said he wants auditing and compliance measures contained in Linfox’s enterprise agreement to spread through the transport chain.

This year, similar conditions were negotiated by the TWU with other industry majors including Toll and TNT.

The TWU has applauded the comments of Mr D’Apice who was one of the key speakers at the recent Safe Rates Summit in Canberra.

The provisions he spoke of include requiring outside hire to complete audit forms detailing information about their work practices, employees and their remuneration.

“We’d like to see that permeate through the industry because we don’t take kindly to fleet owners or contractors breaching our own policies. We set a very high standard when it comes to driver behaviour, fatigue within our business,” D’Apice said.

Under the agreements, audit forms must be signed on an annual basis and be made available to the TWU upon request. Furthermore, Linfox must consult the union on any plans to outsource work.

TWU delegates will have the power to look over the payslips, wage records, log books, run sheets and superannuation records of Linfox sub-contractors and owner-drivers.

“We are using some technology…which will go round the country and these things will be audited regularly to make sure all our sub-contractors and fleet owners are compliant with their own legal obligations.” Mr D’Apice said.

The Linfox agreement requires subcontractors and owner-drivers to rectify any breach and assure Linfox it will not be repeated. The company needs to discuss with union delegates any action taken against offenders.

TWU has found Mr D’Apices comments very re-assuring. It is one thing to have provisions in an agreement but it means so much more when the company involved commits to them unequivocally.

One of the union’s major campaigns in 2012 will focus on the enforcement of the owner-driver conditions in our agreements.

The aim of this campaign will be to ensure employee drivers are paid the correct pay and conditions and that our agreements are strictly adhered to.

Underpaying employees and rate-cutting by small fleet-owners is rife in the industry and – like a cancer - it must be cut out.