No start date for the safe rates order yet, as industry bodies successfully freeze implementation
Both sides in the battle for the future of hirers and owner-drivers will be marshalling their court arguments for the next round of this contentious issue.
The Federal Court in Brisbane has granted a stay of the Contractor Driver Minimum Payments Road Safety Remuneration Order (RSRO) that was due to start on Monday, April 4, following an urgent application by the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) and National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) on Friday evening.
This followed a flurry of legal efforts on Friday night to stop the RSRO coming into effect.
According to the Federal Court Stay Order, the court orders that “the order of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal of 18 December 2015 entitled Contractor Driver Minimum Payments Road Safety Remuneration Order 2016 and the order of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal of 1 April 2016, being refusal to vary the order of 18 December 2015, be stayed to vary until further order of the Court.”
The decision means the RSRT must now convince the court of its position before the RSRO can be unfrozen.
The court says it will reveiw the decision at a date yet to be fixed.
The TWU responded quickly to the move also backed by the Federal Government and Australian Industry Group (Ai Group).
“For two years these parties had a chance to respond and engage constructively in this process and they refused. Now an eleventh hour injunction is being sought,” Transport Workers Union national secretary Tony Sheldon says.
“By doing this both parties are doing the transport industry and the taxpayers of this country a gross disservice.”
Further details to come.
What has happened so far?
The RSRT decided not to delay the introduction of mandatory rates for contractor drivers. Read the full breakdown here.
The tribunal used its verdict to slam its opponents. Read the full story here.
The ATA, SARTA and Ai Group called for the abolition of the Tribunal owing to its flawed approach to road safety. Read the full story here.
The industry bodies joined forces in condemning the decision of the RSRT. Read the full story here.
Then a Government-commissioned review of tribunal was released, wanting major changes made to the RSRT. Read the full story here.
The review even pointed to the benefits in removing the RSRT. Read the full story here.