Truckie wants RSRT to focus on allowances

By: Brad Gardner

Date: 22.10.2014

Industry veteran claims drivers are being paid less than they are owed or not at all.

Truckie wants RSRT to focus on allowances

The RSRT has been told truck drivers are being paid less than they are owed in allowances or not being paid at all.

Investigating allowances paid to truck drivers should be the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal’s (RSRT) primary focus in 2015, according to a veteran driver.

Steve Corcoran believes drivers are being paid less than they are owed in allowances or not being paid at all.

Corcoran’s recommendation the RSRT look at allowances is in response to the tribunal’s request for industry to nominate issues it should put on its agenda for next year.

"Allowances such as the Disability Allowance needs to be addressed along with, Overnight Allowance, Living Away from home allowance, Meal Allowance and of course Risk Allowance," his written submission states.

"Truck Drivers are paid a lesser amount of Meal Allowance than every other person in any other industry that claims Meal Allowance, yet the amount specified is never paid in full in my experiences over the last 20 years."

Corcoran’s submission also takes issue with superannuation payments, which are paid based on ordinary hours of work excluding overtime.

"…Drivers of Australia [are] being massively short changed on their superannuation with current practices of paying a maximum of 38 hours a week or 76 hours a fortnight, when legally we can work 144 hours a fortnight," he writes.

Corcoran previously asked the RSRT to mandate "danger money" for drivers to recognise the high fatality rate in the transport industry.

He says employers should pay drivers a weekly tax-free payment of $100.

The RSRT last month announced it was accepting proposals on what it should add to its third annual work program.

Since its establishment in 2012, the tribunal has looked at practices in the supermarket, bulk and linehaul sectors and is currently in the middle of an investigation into the cash-in-transit industry.