TWU News Summer 2015

NATIONALNEWS
National Secretary Tony Sheldon
WE’VE STUCK TOGETHER
AND ACHIEVED RESULTS
This past year has been an important one for transport workers. In the face of a difficult economic and
political climate, union members have stuck together and achieved a number of astounding successes.
In road transport we are looking at a
world first: a binding ruling by the Road
Safety Remuneration Tribunal in which
wealthy retailers and manufacturers
will be held to account for pressure and
deaths in trucking. NSW members felt so
strongly about this need for accountability
that 10 of them got arrested at a Coles
store sit-in in November.
A draft ruling by the Tribunal has
outlined minimum safe rates for owner
drivers including payment for time spent
waiting and queuing at depots and
distribution centres. It states drivers must
be paid for loading and unloading time
and for the time it takes to clean, inspect,
service and repair their trucks and trailers.
This is a huge step forward to
address the wrongs which have plagued
the road transport industry where 29%
of driver are underpaid. For too long
truck drivers have borne the brunt of
pressure in the industry.
A United Nations body, International
Labor Organisation, recognised the
importance of what we have achieved in
Australia and have backed our model of
Safe Rates.
The work on this continues. The
Tribunal is also looking at the pressures
drivers are under who work in oil, fuel
and gas; the delivery of cash; waste;
and ports and wharfs. We will push
for a similar ruling in each of these
industries and more going forward. Our
aim is to ensure that those at the top
of our industries are held to account for
the practices throughout their claims of
influence.
The ruling at the Tribunal shows what
can be achieved through union strength.
There are many more examples.
When waste workers in Ryde Council
faced losing their jobs and being rehired
as independent contractors on reduced
wages and conditions, members came
together to oppose the move. Councillors
passed a resolution soon after a noisy
action on the council’s steps to ensure
workers’ employment conditions would
remain unchanged.
“We showed what can be achieved
when workers stand together,” said
Craig Ramaker, a waste worker for 25
years.
“Companies will try to erode our
rights but the strength in sticking
together as one voice is more powerful,”
he added.
Workers across are union are calling
out the bad practices in their industries
and demanding change. This past year
we have shown what can be achieved
when a union stands together.
The new year will pose more
challenges but by sticking together we
can meet them head on.
Get more involved in your union by
speaking to your delegate or calling
our Members’ Service Centre on
1800 729 909.
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TWUNEWS SUMMER 2015 | 29