The Trucking stouch with the government that has been brewing for weeks is set to ignite into one of the most bitter and protracted disputes that Australia has seen for decades.
Truck drivers, owner drivers and the all powerful Transport Workers Union are lining up against State and federal governments across Australia. The dispute is over a number of issues that are forcing drivers out of the industry and owner operators out of business.
The first major salvo was fired last night on the ABC’s 7.30 report. You can watch the program here (scroll down the side bar and its the third story) or read the transcript here.
The 7.30 report basically outlines the Transport Workers Union(TWU) take on the issue. It is ominous when you see Tony Sheldon Federal secretary of the TWU saying:
“It’s breaking point. Drivers are literally being forced to put their lives and other’s lives at risk.”
The program takes a major swipe at Coles & Woolworths (you know the Supermarket Duopoly thats maintains it pays farmers a fair market price for their produce).
Apparently they won’t pay truckies more money to carry the goods either. In his interview when Tony says client, it’s actually code for Coles, Woolworths, major retailers and the major Transport compies that sub contract their work to 1,000’s of smaller privately owned trucking companies that are getting the short end of the stick (sound familiar). Tony Sheldon (pictured below) -
“The fuel costs mean the drivers work longer, harder and faster to meet the client demand. More drivers are getting killed, more people on our roads are being injured as a result of the pressures on truck drivers driven by economics of the clients.
The major retailers across the country are lying when they say that the prices have to go up because of fuel, because they’re actually not paying it to many of the people that cart their goods.
There would be hardly a driver in the country, whether they be employees or owner drivers that won’t be ruling out blockades.”
Meanwhile Mick Pattel who represents the grass roots uprising of drivers and owner operators agrees whole heartedly with the TWU stance. He has reported instances medium sized sub-contractors being threaten by Heavy weights in the Transport industry who carry for national retailers like Coles and Woolworths.
These huge multi-national transport groups are threatening to black ban any sub contractor who supports the shut down. This would effectively shut down many of these operators businesses. Mick has passed this information onto the TWU.
The drivers and owner drivers have a list of 20 demands that they want met. Top of the list is the scrapping of demerit points and fines for log book inaccuracies. It was clearly demonstrated in our recent article that a simple clerical error by a drive in a log book will cost them $600 and the loss of 3 points off the drivers license. Policing of these “poorly drafted laws” is causing many long serving drivers to leave the industry.
Here is what Queensland Minister for Transport John Mickel (pictured below) speaking to Arlie Douglas of Toowoomba ABC had to say about a recent meeting with Mick Pattel on this very issue:
“We won’t back down on one of the demands set by truckies planning to strike this Sunday.
Safety concerns will mean demerit points related to fatigue laws won’t be dropped.
One of the issues they wanted was the demerit points for log books which was introduced in March of 2007.
I will not be moving on that……..
There is nothing more dangerous than a driver who is fatigued being on the road with other road users.”
Mr Mickel might like to explain how fining a truck driver $600 for not drawing a line across a page, when the rest of the log book is in order including adherence to all fatigue laws is a safety issue. The facts are he and his Labor colleagues have drafted a ‘bad’ law.
Mr Mickels office told us on Monday that they realize there may be some issues with the way that the laws are policed and they will look into this. I’ll remind the minister that the police just enforce the laws they make. Have a look at the cartoon satire - Why Democracy is better. There is a line in there that Mr Mickel and all politicans should heed.
“Hi we are the Police force, we can only obey the laws, so whatever laws he makes, we’ve got to obey.”
It is the ultimate cop-out to blame the way police enforce the laws he and his Labor colleagues have made.
Agmates told the Minister that elements of the National Transport Bill were bad law making in our article “Lazy Labor Legislation will Impact Food Prices” back on the 19th of May this year. Indeed our articles on the issued formed a part of debate on the bill.
If the stand off escalates as it looks, that prediction about the laws impacting food prices will come true within months. As Geoff Thomas of Woolworths said on the 7.30 report:
“Blockades, depending on their nature and severity, could have a significant impact on Woolworth’s business.”
Blockades aside, food would be dearer in supermarkets if Woolworths and Coles were forced to stop using their 70% market domination to squeeze the life out of those that grow and deliver the product to their supermakets before they mark it up 100-250%.
The supermarkets rack up their margins and increase their profits whilst they squeeze the life blood out of every farmer and truckie who is responsible for putting food in their supermarkets.
They call this greater efficiencies in the supermarket business.
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Have Your say!
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Tags: John Mickel, Mick Pattel, Tony Sheldon, Transport, TWU
The ACCC has been asked to investigated claims that the major transport companies are ripping off the sub contractors by not passing on the fuel levies charged by those companies to the people that buy the diesel .
DO NOT PAY ANY COMPANY A FUEL LEVY UNLESS THAT MONEY IS GOING STRAIGHT TO THE PEOPLE THAT BUY THE FUEL .
You are being defrauded by these companies if they tell you the fuel levy is because of the cost of fuel and they are pocketing the money .
This is one of the issues that the government has been asked to look at . The money should be going to the sub contractors that carry the freight
The TWU , THE ATA , THE VTA And the QTA all said they would not back the owner drivers and truckies in their demands .
Why are they there if they wont back the people in the industries that they are their to represent .
How many of these groups are just blood sucking. Sucking the very life out of people in the industries they should look after and do nothing .
What do the farmers groups do for farmers?
Minister and his Government?
Well, Will someone please ask this Idiot (WHO IS HIS GOVERNMENT), and I do hope for his sake he says us, for if he does not, he can ask his other Government to vote his Idiot self back in, for we the people are the Government.
POWER TO THE PEOPLE, THE REAL AND “ONLY GOVERNMENT” IN OUR FEDERAL COMMONWEALTH COUNTRY CALLED AUSTARLIA
AND UNDER THE ONLY LAWS TO BE UP HELD BY OUR CONSTITUTION AND NOT BY SOMEOTHER GOVERNMENT WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME
David Foster
SAFER PAYMENT SYSTEMS FOR HEAVY VEHICLE DRIVERS
The National Transport Commission (NTC) will investigate and report on driver remuneration and payment methods in the Australian trucking industry and make recommendations for reform.
The NTC will be assisted by Professor Michael Quinlan of UNSW and the Hon Lance Wright QC, the former president of the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.
The NTC will report by November 2008, and the report will be considered by the Australian Transport Council (ATC - Commonwealth, State and Territory Transport Ministers). Working with the ATC, the Government’s objective is to implement these reforms in the context of changes to national road transport regulation and the introduction of the new workplace relations system.
The trucking industry prides itself on being highly competitive and efficient. However, the industry’s strength can also be its weakness, with truck drivers often finding themselves in a weak bargaining position and unable to maintain safe work practices.
This is especially so at a time when hard-working trucking companies and owner-drivers, who deliver essential food and supplies to supermarket shelves every day, have been hit hard by rising global fuel prices.
The report will examine how current methods and rates of pay for heavy vehicle drivers contribute to poor road safety outcomes, and will identify options for implementing a system of safe rates for both employees and owner-drivers, recognising the special vulnerabilities of independent contractors in the transport industry.
From 2000-2004, one in five road deaths involved heavy vehicles, with speed and fatigue widely acknowledged to be significant factors. During recent years several reports have also linked unsafe work practices in the trucking industry to road accidents.
The investigation follows on from an agreement between Commonwealth, State and Territory Transport Ministers on February 29 concerning the need for a coordinated national transport plan. The NTC was requested to review and make recommendations relating to truck driver pay and remunerations methods.
The Government notes that addressing this matter touches on developments in Commonwealth and State regulations relating to transport and road safety, workplace relations, occupational health and safety and the legislative frameworks for employees and independent contractors.
The Government is committed to working with the transport industry, unions and other stakeholders to improve road safety for Australian families, ensure a fair go for both employees and owner-drivers, and sustain the long-term viability of the trucking industry.
Today’s announcement continues the Government’s heavy vehicle reform process and complements other safety initiatives, including:
Implementing news laws to limit heavy vehicle driver fatigue and excessive speed; and
A $70 million safety and productivity package which will fund the trial of black box technologies that monitor driving hours and speed as well as the construction of more rest areas along the nation’s highways.
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport Anthony Albanese Media Release. 25th July 2008
Anthony Albanese has about as much idea about the transport industry as the NTC none.
Reality check Anthony, you say that all these changes are for the benefit of the industry under consultation with industry representatives. If this is so why is the industry threatening to stand down.
The only consultation has been between you and the NTC the organisation that the industry wants disbanded. You have ignored every request made by true industry representatives.
I see the NTC put out a press release to try and show they are working for the industry, but no comment on the 20 issues the industry want addressed. If I knew I was voting to have my livelyhood destroyed by a dictatorship I would have voted differently.
NTC should be disbanded and Anthony, Rudd, Mickel and all the other incompetent grubs will be shown we do live in a democracy next election.
The more they show their arrogance and stupidity the more support the standdown receives from other sectors like the farming, grazing communities and public.
Good Luck truckies you have my support, stand up for your rights. And thank god for the ABC good to know not all our media is for sale. Sad day when our source of so called news is influenced by government and big business.
G’day All,
For the latest update on the Transport Shutdown go to National transport Industry Shutdown - Update #3 Mick Pattel by clicking here.
Mr Mickel you are so sure of your beliefs why disappear when issues are to be discussed.
Typical government coward. Get back, start explaining. I suppose you had a family issue but I think you are in hiding.
I hope we (the drivers tax payer) have put you up in some nice five star hotel. It is the least we can do for you. HaHa
I believe that Mick did his best and must be held high for his efforts .
I also have a nasty thought that he may have been stood over by the government . I have just spent two days trying to get my computers back on line I wonder who played with them .
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT STOOD BY US . We will win because we are right . I would also like to thank all of the cattle carriers for their stand . Well done .
We now need to have a meeting and get all of the people that have the guts to stand up for what is right to stand together but we need a leader that has the guts to fight for the people not for any other purpose .