Drivers at GKR Transport have secured a significant win in an ongoing industrial dispute, forcing the company back to the bargaining table after seven days of nationwide strike action.
Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) members at the operator have managed to get GKR Transport to return to bargaining an in-principle agreement.
The change comes after GKR Transport long distance drivers across Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory went on strike for a full week.
The in-principle agreement is set to deliver major gains including a 13 per cent increase to kilometre/hourly rates over three years, a 19.5 per cent increase to annual leave over three years (headlined by a 11.5 per cent rise in the first year) and locking in delegates rights in the enterprise agreement.
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These improvements will hit payslips from the next pay cycle, with back pay to July 1, 2025 delivered once the EA is approved, which is expected in early January.
TWU WA state secretary Tim Dawson says the result shows what workers can achieve when they take action collectively.
“GKR drivers stood together, refused to back down, and showed exactly what unity looks like. This win is theirs. It sends a message to the entire industry that transport workers will not be taken for granted,” he says.
He says this outcome positions GKR drivers strongly for future bargaining and sets a benchmark for long-distance transport conditions heading into 2026 and beyond.
“This is just a snapshot of what is to come in 2026, where the TWU has 210 agreements expiring nationally, and more than 60,000 transport workers are in a position to take action for fair wages, safe jobs and strong conditions,” Dawson says.
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