RSRT President will visit Coles' national distribution centre today as another round of industry visits kick off
By Brad Gardner | May 16, 2013
Members of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT) will descend on Coles’ national distribution centre today to look over its transport supply chain practices.
President Jennifer Acton will tour the Eastern Creek premise in New South Wales with tribunal members Paul Ryan and Steve Hutchins for two hours from 2pm.
The visit comes on the heels of stops at Tarcutta, Port Botany and Uncle Leo’s Roadhouse to discuss rates and conditions with truck drivers.
The industry consultations are designed to inform the RSRT’s development of road safety remuneration orders, which can mandate rates and conditions throughout the supply chain.
Coles General Manager of Transport and Integration Craig Wickham wrote to Acton inviting tribunal members to visit Coles’ distribution centres to gain an understanding of its transport operations.
Coles, which has borne the brunt of union accusations retail is driving down safety in trucking, says it takes its chain of responsibility obligations seriously.
“Coles is recognised as an industry leader in adopting and implementing chain of responsibility policies,” it recently wrote to the RSRT.
Following its visit to Coles, the tribunal will stop in at the BP’s Archerfield site in Queensland on May 23 from 9.30am to 11.30am.
Fatigue expert Ann Williamson and trucking operator Tim Squires, who are part of the tribunal, will join RSRT Deputy President Ingrid Asbury for the visit.
The RSRT will then head to Simon National Carriers, the business of Australian Trucking Association (ATA) Chairman David Simon. The visit will take place on May 23 from 1pm to 3pm.
Asbury, Squires and Williamson will make their final stop at Caltex at the Port of Brisbane on May 24 from 9am to 12pm.
