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Industry bodies view JobKeeper initiative as crucial

HVIA and ATA make plain value of measure for trucking and related firms

 

The federal government’s proposed $130 billion JobKeeper employee payment scheme is greeted very positively by peak transport industry bodies.

Both Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) and the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) give support for the subsidy that aims to help employers keep around six million workers in jobs and which is expected to have the support of all parties.

If passed through Parliament, the JobKeeper Payment will consist of a flat payment of $1,500 per fortnight paid through the employer, before tax, and involve companies hit significantly by the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic’s economic impact.

The payment ensures eligible employers remain connected to their workforce and will help businesses restart quickly when the crisis is over.

HVIA chief executive Todd Hacking urged all sides of the Parliament to come together today to give certainty that the package will be passed without amendment.

“The battle against this dreadful disease and its impact on the lives of every Australian, must come ahead of any party politics,” Hacking says.

“We implore that when Parliament is reconvened, the package is ushered through with the same bi-partisanship that has allowed earlier stimulus measures to be legislated.

“The JobKeeper Payment is a game-changer for all industry, with potential to remove a great degree of fear and anxiety over the future for businesses and their employees.”


Read how second financial assistance package is expected to help operators, here


The ATA see the measure as likely to stand between viability and destruction for many smaller trucking enterprises.

“Trucking businesses in the grocery, fuel and home delivery sectors are working flat out, but others face months of reduced work or, in some cases, financial devastation,” ATA chair Geoff Crouch says.

“It will be a lifeline for hard pressed owner drivers who face months of little work, because the companies they support have closed down. 

“In our discussions with the Government, the ATA argued strongly that owner drivers needed to be supported. 

“We thank the Government for taking action and providing this support. 

“We also thank the Government for developing an Australian program tailored to the way we do things in Australia, and not just copying overseas programs.”

 

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