Transport Workers Union NSW/QLD state secretary Richard Olsen has been appointed as one of the heads of the new Road Transport Advisory Group, which helps to inform the Fair Work Commission Expert Panel.
It will lead consultation with workers, employers and industry groups on the standards that the FWC will enforce through the new Closing the Loopholes bill.
Olsen will lead the RTAG alongside ARTIO secretary and VTA CEO Peter Anderson, with the pair ratified into their roles by federal workplace relations minister Murray Watt.
“Our fundamental mission is to represent the voices of transport workers and push for fairer conditions across the industry,” Olsen says.
“The power of this legislation is the industry consultation through the RTAG that will advise the expert panel on standards to ensure transport is not only safe and sustainable but also equitable for all road transport workers and businesses.
“Road transport reform is about creating a fairer, more sustainable industry, with safe, secure jobs at its heart. The subcommittees, composed of key industry representatives, will tackle critical issues like gig economy exploitation and payment fairness throughout supply chains, ensuring that justice is delivered to all.
“We’re focused on balancing the needs of businesses and workers by listening to all relevant voices. Over the next few months, the subcommittees will zero in on the most urgent challenges, such as fair payment terms and the rights of gig workers, to help build a safer, more just future for the industry.”
The TWU recently filed its first submissions to the FWC, calling for a safety net for gig workers delivering food and last mile parcels and ensuring they are fairly compensated.
This would ideally also be reflected for owner drivers under the TWU applications.
A further application from truck drivers under these new laws will call for fair payment terms in transport supply chains, preventing retailers and manufacturers from passing financial risk onto operators and owner drivers.
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