Reliance Transport has defended itself after coming under attack from the TWU for underpaying an owner-driver.
The owner of a trucking company at the centre of union allegations of being a “sham contractor” has hit back at his accusers.
Reliance Transport owner Grant Mace has defended his company after it ran afoul of the New South Wales Transport Workers Union (TWU) for underpaying owner-driver Steve Georges.
He did not receive his correct rate and was subsequently back-paid $24,800 after the union intervened.
Reliance Transport sub-contracts to Toll, and the underpayment occurred while Georges was hauling freight out of Toll IPEC’s Moorebank yard.
The enterprise agreement Toll struck with the TWU mandates that all sub-contractors at Toll sites must receive the same rate of pay as Toll employees – a practice known as site rates. Georges was paid less.
After Mace rectified the underpayment, the TWU called his firm “a sham contractor ripping off truckies in western Sydney” and claimed it was intentionally profiting at the expense of the owner-driver.
“Despite being paid the site rate by Toll, Reliance told Steve Georges the rate was much lower. Instead of passing the correct rate on, Reliance pocketed the difference,” TWU NSW Secretary Wayne Forno says.
However, Mace has labelled the union’s claims “misleading” and says the underpayments were inadvertent.
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