ROAD – AUSTRALIA

Tribunal driven onto fast track to oblivion

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 6 : 19-Apr-16

The Australasian Convenience & Petroleum Marketers Association has welcomed the Senate’s passing of legislation to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal. The Australian Labor Party, which had established the tribunal in 2012, opposed its abolition, but the legislation was narrowly passed with the support of crossbench senators. The Federal Government intends to provide the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator with an additional $A4m in annual funding for safety initiatives in the trucking industry.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROAD SAFETY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, AUSTRALASIAN CONVENIENCE AND PETROLEUM MARKETERS ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL HEAVY VEHICLE REGULATOR, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Toll joins chorus to kill off truckies tribunal

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 14-Apr-16

Australian logistics group Toll Holdings supports the Federal Government’s push to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal. A spokesman says the company has had concerns about the RSRT since it was first proposed in 2010 and notes that Toll deals with many owner-drivers, who will be affected by the "safe rates" regime. Meanwhile, crossbench senator John Madigan has indicated that he may vote in favour of legislation to scrap the RSRT.

CORPORATES
TOLL HOLDINGS LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. ROAD SAFETY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL HEAVY VEHICLE REGULATOR, LINFOX PROPERTIES, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, NATROAD LIMITED

Removalists hit as PM moves to axe roads body

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 13-Apr-16

The Australian Government will introduce legislation to abolish the Road Safety ­Remuneration Tribunal when Parliament is recalled. The move now has the support of five crossbench senators. The Government will also introduce separate legislation to halt the implementation of the RSRT’s ruling on "safe rates" for owner-drivers in the trucking industry. The Australian Furniture ­Removers’ Association has warned that consumers who hire self-employed interstate removalists would face significant penalties if they did not pay the "safe rates".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROAD SAFETY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, AUSTRALIAN FURNITURE REMOVERS’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIAN MOTORING ENTHUSIAST PARTY, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

Shorten teeters on truckie pay ruling

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 6 : 12-Apr-16

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says he is willing to negotiate with the Australian Government regarding the introduction of new pay rates for owner-drivers in the trucking industry. The Government still wants to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, but it will opt to for legislation to defer the introduction of revised pay rates and take further action after the federal election. However, Shorten opposes abolishing the RSRT, which was established by the Australian Labor Party in 2012.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. ROAD SAFETY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Scrap road body now, truckies urge Turnbull

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Original article by Sarah Martin, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 4 : 11-Apr-16

Independent Contractors Australia has urged the Federal Government to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal when Parliament is recalled. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Employment Minister Michaelia Cash have committed to scrapping the RSRT if the Coalition wins the 2016 federal election, and Cash stresses that it lacks sufficient support in the Senate for legislation to abolish the agency. There are concerns that the RSRT’s pay ruling will force many owner-drivers out of the trucking industry.

CORPORATES
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. ROAD SAFETY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION

Pay order spells ‘ruin’ for truckies

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 8-Apr-16

Transport Workers’ Union national secretary Tony Sheldon has welcomed a court ruling on new pay rates for owner-drivers in the trucking industry. He argues the new pay regime will improve industry safety. He has also urged the Australian Government and trucking industry bodies to support the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, which proposed the new pay rates. However, there are concerns that many owner-drivers will be forced out of the industry and that the cost of transporting goods by road will rise.

CORPORATES
TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIA. ROAD SAFETY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN SMALL BUSINESS AND FAMILY ENTERPRISE OMBUDSMAN

Top court challenge for road tribunal

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 7-Apr-16

Independent Contractors Australia (ICA) will launch legal action in a bid to overturn a Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal ruling on pay rates in the trucking industry. It will impose minimum pay rates for owner-drivers, but executive director Ken Phillips believes that the ruling is unconstitutional and constitutes price fixing on commercial contracts. He warns that the ruling would force many owner-drivers out of the industry.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROAD SAFETY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, CHRISTOPHER LEVINGSTON AND ASSOCIATES PTY LTD, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, NATIONAL ROAD TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION LIMITED, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA