So many questions and still so many people who don’t want to answer them around the chain of responsibility.
Every day, transport workers out on our highways are being fined for the little things like errors in the log book, yet right under the noses of politicians, truck drivers are still copping the blunt end of the stick when it comes to safety and fairness at work.
Out on the roads, every day, there is a truck driver who can’t find a clean toilet, can’t find a decent place to pull up, because rest areas are still in the too hard basket.
Transport workers are still being targeted financially by modern day bushrangers every time they use a toll road, especially when they are forced to use the NorthConnex.
There is an abundance of other costs that transport operators face just to get the job done, like the charges imposed by the ports to bring in and remove containers, there is triple the registration costs and a lot more, that mean Transport workers are forced to work longer and harder to make ends meet.
I still have no response from Government about investigating workplace deaths and accidents involving truck drivers, another problem pushed under the carpet as road statistics. It seems that your safety is not their priority.
We have asked for help for this industry alongside many other professional bodies and advocates and the Government looks instead to the bigger end of town, those who want to keep the costs down because the shareholder is apparently a higher priority than the people who keep business moving forward.
Every time I read Big Rigs, I see the solutions that the transport industry’s workers provide. It seems that those with the knowledge and understanding are not valued by those who set the rules, regulations and fines that we work under.
In other words, the Government who holds responsibility, are ignoring their duty of care to you doing the work that keeps everything moving.
When safety is held to ransom for profits, when road transport is left vulnerable to companies throughout the supply chain intent on taking what they can and leaving very little for you, when regulation and accountability at the top of the supply chain is missing, we need to take a stand.
It’s time to act. Transport workers across Australia have remember workmates and pay our respects to the families of those that are no longer with us.
We will put a spotlight on trucking and the dangers transport workers face every day.
We will push for reform and demand safe rates for all transport workers. If you want to take part, find out more at twunsw.org.au.