Toll 15.25% pay offer as good as possible in a slowing economy

• General News
• 15th October 2013

The TWU has reached an in-principle agreement with Toll on a four-year pay and conditions agreement.

The agreement was reached after sixmonths of often intense negotiations in a tightening economy and freight forwarding market.

The deal, which was yet to be voted on by members as The Wheel went to press, incudes pay rises totalling 15.25%.

Our Toll Members received a 2% pay rise on January 1 and will get another 2% on July 1 – which will be back paid.

Another 2% rise will be paid at the end of this year.

This adds up to 6% over the year.

Toll contributions to its employees superannuation accounts will increase from the current 11.5% to 12.25%.

That’s 3% ahead of community standards and there is a possibility that they could go to 13.25% - depending on what happens politically and industry wide.

Features of the agreement include:

• 2% rise backdated to 1 July 2013.
• 2% rise 1 January 2014
• 3% rise 1 July 2014
• 4% rise 1 July 2015
• 4.25% rise 1 July 2016
• Super could go as high as 13.25%
• Three days Disaster Leave.
• Minimum Toll Rate - award + 10%

These outcomes shouldn’t be overrated.

They were achieved in a slowing economic climate.

The TWU has been seeing a spike in redundancies, lay-offs and reductions in working hours in the WA transport industry.

Much of this can be attributed to the gearing down of the construction phase of the biggest mining boom in Australia’s history.

In negotiating with Toll we were always conscious that their wages and working conditions are amongst the best in the transport industry.

We have fought long and hard to make them that way!

But our members’ job security is always our number one priority because without jobs there can be no pay rises.

We therefore had to balance Toll’s ability to remain competitive in their tendering for contracts, with the needs of our members.

I believe we have done that.

Many thanks to our delegates, who played a big role in the long-drawn out process.

Special thanks to Steve Den Ridder (Toll Kmart), Wayne Price (Toll Woolworths) and Brian Moody (Toll Coles) who regularly travelled to and from Sydney for the negotiations.