April 19, 2016
The abolition of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal is a win for truck owner-drivers across Gippsland, according to Federal MP Darren Chester.
The Senate last night passed government legislation to abolish the tribunal, which had set a controversial minimum rate of pay only for owner-drivers that would have sent many of them out of business.
Mr Chester said the fact the RSRT legislation was in the employment portfolio and not the transport portfolio showed the RSRT was not about improving road safety.
“The Coalition believes in keeping people in the heavy vehicle industry safe, without running them out of business,” Mr Chester said.
“The tribunal’s introduction in 2012 was never about safety – it was a deal done between Labor and the Transport Workers Union, and it was going to send owner-drivers broke.
“The Coalition, with the support of the Senate, last night abolished the tribunal. We will be putting those $4 million in extra resources into the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, which will actually save lives without destroying mum and dad small businesses.”
CAPTION: Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester with Gippsland truck owner-drivers who drove to Canberra earlier this week to call for the abolition of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal. Pictured with Mr Chester are Sally Douglas, Darrin Woerz, Sharon Woerz, Dave ‘Specs’ Cottrell and Jaykob Woerz.
