Logistics News

LAA pulls out of merger

The Logistics Association of Australia won't pursue a union with the Supply Chain and Logistics Association of Australia

By Anna Game-Lopata | June 19, 2013

The Logistics Association of Australia (LAA) has decided not to pursue
a union with the Supply Chain and Logistics
Association of Australia (SCLAA).

SCLAA Chairman David Rogers (pictured) today
told SupplyChain Review
LAA President Mike Owen had informed him the LAA
intended to terminate merger discussions despite continuing commitment to the concept of consolidation for the benefit of the supply chain industry in Australia.

Rogers says an impasse had been reached relating to the “constitutional model that best suits all members’ interests and the representative nature of association activities nationally”.

“The SCLAA has been engaged in extensive discussions with the LAA but has not been able to reach agreement on a merger process,” Rogers says.

“We will enthusiastically pursue discussions with other associations while continuing to be optimistic that an agreement can be reached with the LAA at some time in the future.”

However Rogers says if discussions can’t be resumed this year, he fears re-uniting the two organisations won’t occur for some time.

Rogers adds anyone who has been involved in efforts to create, build, merge or restructure large national associations will be well aware that these processes can be complex and take some time.

“This issue is not unique to our associations or to our industry,”
he says.

He says from the SCLAA’s perspective, there remains continuing goodwill between the two organisations, which lays a good groundwork to re-commence negotiations at some time in the future.

“We thank the LAA Directors for their participation,” Rogers says.

“In the meantime we have very good co-operation with the other supply chain associations in CILTA, APICS and CIPSA and will continue efforts on an event by event basis to generate additional value for the profession and practice that we serve.”

Originally one organisation, the SCLAA and LAA split in 2006 to form the LAA’s predominantly NSW-based industry group and the SCLAA’s national organisation.

The industry has been calling for the two bodies to re-unite for some time.

Meanwhile Rogers says CILTA and SCLAA will not hold joint awards programs this year as previously announced.

Rogers says the Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics in Australia (CILTA) decided the timeframe
would be
too tight to stage the two awards programs together effectively this year, but the merger of the event will go ahead as planned in 2014.

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