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Long distance transport award must be amended

OPINION: Payment for all work completed, including loading and unloading, must become the norm

 

I write this column after reading yet another story about veteran truckies calling it quits. There are many reasons given by truckies calling it quits, including being sick of the enforcement of work diary rules on drivers, the large fines that can be given out, the increasing compliance burden put on drivers, the poor treatment of drivers by loading and unloading facilities, the perception of the media that all truckies are drug induced outlaws and the long hours of work for poor renumeration.

I must agree these reasons have made me rethink how I operate as a driver but instead of calling it quits, I choose to change.

The first change I have made is using an electronic work diary (EWD). I will not expand on EWDs as those that know me will be aware that I have been supplying EWDs to drivers and businesses since December 2020.

I will add that, at the recent National Road Freighters Association (NRFA) conference Sal Petroccitto, CEO of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, asked how we can reduce the enforcement of work diary offences. He stated that using an EWD would remove this problem from the industry.

The next change I suggest is who and what you will work for. With the shortage of drivers, we now have the choice to only work for those that pay more than just a kilometre rate and provide safe compliant work schedules.

The industry has changed. We can no longer ‘get the job done’, no matter what. There is just too much evidence being created around us. GPS, Safe-T-Cams, traffic cameras and your mobile phone all create a history of your movements, evidence that can be used against you if something goes wrong.

Switching from the old work diary to an EWD could reduce the enforcement of work diary offences

Over the last couple of months I have seen rates advertised for drivers improve to include payment for loading/unloading, excessive waiting and being held over. I suggest we all get familiar with the award and do not work for anything less. See the Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award [MA000039] at https://awardviewer.fwo.gov.au/award/show/MA000039.

The award is not perfect but is what we must work with now.

The NRFA has, for the last few years, been fighting for changes to the award especially in the areas of unpaid work time. The penalty of lost wages for following the rules needs to be removed completely from our industry.


RELATED ARTICLE: NRFA welcomes election result


The NRFA is committed to working with the government to implement the 10 recommendations of the Senate Standing Committees on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport.

These include the importance of a viable, safe, sustainable and efficient road transport industry; ‘Without Trucks Australia Stops’; the development of viable, safe, sustainable and efficient road transport industry recommendations; and setting safe and sustainable standards in the road transport industry (that’s a mouthfull but is what it’s called).

Positive recommendations

The first two of these recommendations when implemented will have a positive effect on the viability of all drivers, owner-drivers and operators. They are:

Recommendation 1, 8.10: The committee recommends that the government establishes or empowers an independent body that will, in consultation with industry, set universal and binding standards (including binding standards with respect to pay) which:

•  ensure the safe performance of work and eliminate unsafe economic and contracting practices; and

•  apply to all road transport supply chain participants, including transport operators, online/on demand operations, and workers (regardless of their employment or work status), and throughout supply chains.

Recommendation 2, 8.21: The committee recommends that the proposed initial priorities of the independent body should include to:

•  ensure that all workers, whether owner-drivers or employee drivers, are paid for all work time, including driving and non-driving time, and that any costs or efficiency dividends associated with this change are allocated fairly throughout the supply chain;

•  institute a system of demurrage rates to help drivers and operators recoup costs for waiting and loading times, and that any costs or efficiency dividends associated with this change are fairly distributed through the supply chain; and

•  establish binding industry payment terms ensuring that all road transport workers and operators are paid in full upon-delivery.

The government has stated that the NRFA will have a seat at the table when the how and what these 10 recommendations will become is discussed. With real industry people that have spent most of their working life behind a steering wheel we can hope the future for drivers improves.

 

*GLYN CASTANELLI is a long distance driver of more than 15 years, a compliance consultant and accredited NHVAS and WAHVA auditor and the current NRFA secretary and Victorian delegate. Glyn is a member of the Ozhelp Health in Gear steering committee and Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds Standards Committee.

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