Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal will continue investigating industries named in its first annual work program, along with the cash-in-transit sector
By Brad Gardner | November 7, 2013
The Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT) plans to use the bulk of 2014 to knock over issues left unresolved from this year, with the body adding just one new sector to its list of those to be investigated.
The tribunal has proposed using its second annual work program to continue inquiries into sectors that made up its first program, namely retail, livestock, bulk grain, and interstate and intrastate long distance.
Cash-in-transit is the only new sector to be added to the RSRT’s workload.
The draft second annual work program is in line with recommendations from the Transport Workers Union (TWU) for the RSRT to resolve outstanding matters before focusing on new areas.
“The TWU urged the Tribunal to identify the retail, livestock transport, cash-in-transit and parcel/delivery sectors for inquiry in its second annual work program, with the identification of the retail and livestock transport sectors being for the purposes of addressing issues not completed in the Tribunal’s inquiry into those sectors in its first annual work program,” a written statement from RSRT President Jennifer Acton (pictured) says.
The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) opposed the union’s request for the cash-in-transit sector to be put under the microscope. Instead, the Ai Group wanted the tribunal to revisit the relationship between the rates of pay owner-drivers receive and safety.
The RSRT has given the industry until November 26 to respond to its proposed second annual work program. The deadline for comments in reply to submissions has been set at December 10.
“The draft continues a sectoral approach to the inquiry in the second annual work program and recognises that there remain issues for examination in respect of the sectors which were the focus of the inquiry in the first annual work program,” Acton says.
“The Tribunal proposes to finalise the second annual work program having regard to the material received.”
The TWU argued for cash-in-transit and the courier sectors to be included on the basis pressure from banks and retail businesses are pushing down rates and safety conditions.
“The courier and parcel sector of the industry is highly competitive and brings with it dangerous and unsustainable work pressures and systems of remuneration,” the TWU’s submission claims.
“Many drivers are placed on marginal incentive piece rate systems that are not underpinned by any minima. This manifests itself in drivers working long hours in a manner that maximises the number of deliveries in the shortest possible timeframe in order to make a living.”
As part of its role, the RSRT must prepare an annual work program every year outlining the sectors it intends to investigate to determine if existing practices are contributing to unsafe behaviours in the road transport industry.
The tribunal has the power to introduce road safety remuneration orders that can mandate requirements individual sectors or the entire industry must meet.
