TWU

Truck Driver Steve Newton, his wife Eva and their granddaughter Brianna, presented the Prime Minister and Minister Albanese with a giant 2.5m x 2.5m 'Congratulations' greeting card at Labor Party National Conference.  Minister Albanese recently presented the ‘Road Safety Remuneration Bill’ to Parliament.

According to Tony Sheldon, National Secretary of the TWU, "Trucking is Australia’s deadliest industry. For far too long, truck drivers, whether they be owner drivers or employee drivers, have had to meet absurd deadlines; work for rates that are too low; and endure hours and hours of unpaid waiting.  These practices threaten the safety of not just the driver, but all road users."

"A recent survey carried out by our Union showed that 48 per cent of drivers report almost one day a week in unpaid waiting time; for delivery drivers this increases to more than 10 hours a week.  An alarming 56 per cent of owner-drivers have had to forego vehicle maintenance because of economic pressure.  Twenty-seven per cent of drivers felt they had to drive too fast; and nearly 40 per cent felt pressured to drive longer than legally allowed as a result of client pressure." 

According to Wayne Forno, Secretary of the NSW Branch of the TWU, "The government's decision to introduce this legislation will mean that we will have an independent tribunal which will establish and maintain enforceable rates and related conditions for all truck drivers and create binding obligations.  This will have a huge effect on the industry, and will make it fairer for truck drivers and their families.”

Wayne says it is ultimately families – most often a wife and children – who are left to pick up the pieces when a truck driver dies tragically.  “Eva and Brianna wanted to thank both the Prime Minister and Minister Albanese, because they know only too well the worry felt by families when a truck driving family member is at work.  This legislation means a lot to the Newton family, and they wanted to personally thank the Government for their work to date, and ask them to continue to push for safer conditions for Steve and other truck drivers."