THE Road Transport Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT) should be consigned to history as a misguided and flawed experiment before permanent damage is done to owner-drivers and the wider transport sector, says resource industry employer AREEA.
“Australia’s resource employers welcome today’s announcement that the Turnbull government will, if reelected, abolish the RSRT. This tribunal was setup only to pander to former Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s mates in the Transport Workers Union (TWU),” says executive director, policy and public affairs Scott Barklamb.
“While safety is the absolute priority in both the resources and transport sectors, the RSRT would have no effect but to force current self-employed owner-drivers into the unemployment queue to the benefit of company-employed drivers and the TWU.
“Conflating OHS matters with industrial relations tribunals is rarely helpful. If further resources need to be put into OHS in the road transport industry, this should be through existing safety regulars and should accompany a return to mainstream IR regulation by the Fair Work Commission.”
Mr Barklamb also notes that Australia relies on an effective, competitive road transport industry, including both employed drivers and owner drivers, operating at competitive and sustainable prices in an effective market for transporting goods.
“The significant contribution of owner-drivers in the trucking industry is critical to both the supply and distribution of Australia’s resource operations, as well as the regional and remote communities in which we operate,” he continues.
“It is clear this damaging regulation seriously endangers the jobs, livelihoods and assets of swathes of working Australians, particularly those who have chosen to be self-employed and support their families through owning and operating their own trucks.
“We need our lawmakers to have the courage to admit when they have got it wrong, and the courage to put things right.
“Labor and the Greens should join the government in a unity ticket to abolish the RSRT as a matter of urgency and return to a situation where award minimum wages apply, as they did for more than a century, and safety is again be dealt with by OHS regulators.”
Click here for a PDF of this release including media contact.
