Sydney to host five session conference featuring range of speakers and panellists
The Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) will hold a Safety Summit in Sydney on Friday.
The conference will bring together truck drivers, industry executives and representatives, academics and politicians “to devise ways to deal with the crisis in trucking”, the TWU says.
While organised in response to the federal government’s abolition of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, the event has attracted cross-party participation with speakers to include NSW Nationals senator John Williams and Labor Party luminaries in Anthony Albanese, Brendan O’Connor and Glenn Sterle.
Representatives from transport companies such as FBT Transwest, Toll and Linfox are down to attend as are those from the Victorian Transport Association (VTA) and the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation (ARTIO).
“This summit will assess what all stakeholders in the transport industry can now do to address the deaths on our roads and ensure that major clients are held to account,” TWU national secretary Tony Sheldon says.
Panel topics will include the causes of the high death toll in trucking; the role of governments, major retailers and manufacturers; and the fight for safety in trucking globally.
A Macquarie University review of regulation and survey of truck drivers focusing on risks to their safety will be launched during the summit. The summit will be also attended by trade unions from around the world.
The details are:
Safety Summit: Fraser Suites, 488 Kent St, Sydney NSW 2000
Agenda:
9.30am Opening address
9.35am Session 1: Road transport: growing crisis in a changing industry. Panellists: TWU National Secretary Tony Sheldon, Hon Anthony Albanese
10am Session 2: Economic drivers in transport. Chair: Scott Connolly, ACTU. Panellists: Dr Michael Rawling, UTS; Maurice Baroni, McCabes Lawyers; Paul Ryan, VTA, ARTIO; Cameron Dunn, VTA/FBT Transwest; Peter Anderson, VTA; Frank Black, owner driver
11am Report launch & press conference: Macquarie university regulation review & truck driver survey on factors contributing to high risk of serious injury and illness
1pm Session 2 Economic employers in transport. Chair: Michael Kaine, TWU. Panellists: Craig Partridge/Chris Brooks, Woolworths, Prof Louise Thornthwaite, Macquarie University; Arthur Tzaneros, ACFS; Laurie D’Apice, Linfox; Michael Byrne, Toll, delegates
2pm Session 3: The role of the Government Chair: Senator Glenn Sterle. Panellists: Hon Brendan O’Connor, MP, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations; Senator John Williams, Nationals
3.15pm Session 4: Panel: A global crisis – a global response. Chair: Noel Coard, International Transport Workers’ Federation; Tony Wilks, Toll; Stephen DeMatteo, UNI Global Union; Fred Potter, Teamsters; Prof Igor Nossar QUT, delegates
4.15pm Closing remarks