TWU: Save the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) has begun a campaign to try to stop the Federal Government axing the new road safety watchdog.

An average of 330 people die every year in Australia in crashes involved with trucks.

The Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal was established under Labor to address the issue of low pay and tight deadlines, which some had linked to truck crashes, but funding for the tribunal is being reviewed.

Nick McIntosh, of the TWU, says the tribunal's role is to hold everyone to account to make roads safer.

"By making sure that the person at the top of the supply chain makes sure that every single company, no matter how far down they subcontract, pays a proper rate of pay and makes sure fatigue management laws are followed.

"Unfortunately, right now that's not happening everywhere and I know that for a fact."

Federal MPs Sharon Bird and Stephen Jones were updated today by the TWU on the danger of more people being injured or killed on Illawarra roads if the Federal Government succeeded in abolishing Australia’s road safety watchdog - the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal.

The Tribunal is proposed for abolition when parliament resumes later this year. Some Liberal MPs have described the Tribunal as ‘red tape’ despite its critical role on road safety.

Ms Bird and Mr Jones today (15/8) joined local truck drivers and union leaders in Wollongong to call for the Tribunal to continue its work.

“Truck driving is Australia’s most dangerous job, with 330 people killed every year in truck smashes,” Ms Bird said.

“We need a greater focus on road safety in this country, not a weaker one. The Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal needs to be preserved.”

“Truck drivers are 15 times more likely to be killed at work than people in trades like construction, mining or law enforcement,” Stephen Jones said.

The RSRT is a national watchdog which intervenes when trucking clients use economic pressure to force drivers to speed, skip rest breaks or illegally overload their vehicles in order to meet unrealistic delivery deadlines.

Local truck driver Jeff Moses said he knew drivers who were forced to speed or overload their vehicles just to keep their jobs, or who had skipped rest breaks to stay behind the wheel to meet unrealistic delivery times.