The TWU fights hard for owner-drivers to ensure they are paid sustainable rates that enable their businesses to flourish. However a disturbing trend has developed in transport whereby owner-drivers buy additional trucks and employ people to drive them - on less than award conditions.
There is nothing wrong with becoming a small fleet owner if you pay people their legal entitlements. But there are a lot of operators out there who are ripping people off.
We unearthed four cases of truck drivers being rorted at Kleenheat in Kwinana.

CASE ONE was relatively easy to fix. We sat down with the owner-driver and explained his legal obligations. Pay no less than the minimum award conditions, make superannuation contributions and ensure your employee is covered by workers compensation.
We agreed that the driver was owed $7,500 in underpayments and the matter was settled.

CASE TWO was more difficult with the subbie calling in the Chamber of Commerce & Industry. (They don't come cheap). This subbie, who lives in a massive double story mansion in one of Perth's more expensive suburbs, cried poor.
We had to get the violins and hankies out. He eventually agreed to backpay his driver In full but said he couldn't afford to pay up for three weeks. Unbelievable!

We took CASE THREE to court after we were unable to negotiate a settlement. The driver is now $3,500 better off as a result of our efforts.

CASE FOUR is headed for the courts after we spent hours with the owner-driver trying to sort out how much he owed his driver. We came to the conclusion that this bloke and his missus were only interested in delaying the inevitable in the hope they'd escape having to pay. They won't escape - the law will catch up with them. They've had four drivers in two weeks and they wonder why no
one stays with them.

Kleenheat is not the culprit here - they pay the small-fleet owners enough for them to pay their drivers correctly.
If owner-drivers weren't paid adequately, why would they take on a SECOND TRUCK, then a THIRD TRUCK and so on. Nothing wrong with making a NICE PROFIT but when it is made at the expense of a struggling fellow truckie, it's just plain GREED and its wrong!

Report by MICK CONNOLLY