By Matt Whitnall, director, Truck Moves Australia
I talk to a lot of truck drivers and it is clear there are still plenty of dodgy operators in the truck relocation industry who continue to rip off hard-working older drivers.
Dozens of drivers have reported to me they are being ripped off by as much as 75 per cent of the money they are owed under the one and only award that applies to the truck moving industry – the Road Transport & Distribution Award 2010.
So how do you know if your employer is breaking the law and stealing your hard-earned money? Here’s some obvious signs:
• You are not being paid overtime, or weekend and after-hours penalty rates
• You are not being paid travel time to return after a drop-off or on the way to a pick-up
• Your boss can’t tell you straight how your pay is being calculated or under what award
• Your boss dodges questions about your pay and conditions
• Your boss threatens to cut off work if you question your pay rate
If you’re not happy with how you are being treated, call us and we’ll confidentially talk to you about your correct pay and how much you might be owed. We are the industry leader on driver pay and conditions, and it’s our mission to stamp out illegal employment arrangements in the truck relocation industry and make it a level playing field for legitimate operators.
The good news is, if you are the victim of wage theft, the law is on your side to get your money back. We’ve seen some big court judgements recently, where some of the worst wage theft perpetrators in the business are being slugged tens of thousands of dollars in fines and forced to repay all the drivers’ money back to them.
Also, The Fair Work Ombudsman has introduced new laws around pay secrecy and what can be included in job advertisements that will encourage greater transparency of pay and conditions, and will help expose employers who are not paying their drivers per the award.
These new laws ensure that employees can share information with each other about pay and conditions (if they choose to do so), and stop employers from including pay secrecy terms in employment contracts, or advertising jobs with pay rates below award levels or that breach the Fair Work Act.
If your employment agreement or contract includes pay secrecy clauses or below award pay rates, that’s a clear sign you are being ripped off.
If you think you are not being paid correctly and treated fairly, talk to us. We are hiring drivers in all states right now on the back of some large new contract wins, and we are always happy to talk to experienced and reliable drivers looking for a change. You can get in touch with us for a confidential chat by calling 1300 885 799 or emailing info@truckmoves.com.au.