Couriers, Owner Drivers receive overdue increases reports MICK KNOWLES

There is a message for Perth's couriers in the TWU's recent achievement of rate increases for owner driver couriers at Toll Fast.
The lesson is, if you stick together and negotiate as a united group under the TWU umbrella you will improve your financial situation.

With the passing away of former Courier Australia boss Peter Henderson we completed our negotiations with interim manager Brendan Speck.

The main outcome was a 4.5% rate increase to bring the drivers (4.5 tonne and above) up to the rates recommended by the TWU and the Transport Forum.

This broke a bit of drought for the couriers who had not had a rate rise for more than two years. Toll also agreed to supply the drivers with new uniforms.

While we were on a roll we suggested to Toll Priority that it must be time to look at their one tonne rates.
The van drivers received a 2% increase last year but that wasn't enough to lift them up to our going rate. This time we were able to achieve a 4% increase from July 2 on the total rate - not just the labour component.

And to cap off a good story the parcel couriers who drive the little hatch backs will pocket 4% more thanks to our efforts.