Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) National Secretary Michael Kaine labelled the recently implemented Closing Loopholes No.2 Act as 20 years in the making, but according to some owner drivers, the battle for industry reform has been raging for far longer.
The National Road Freighters Association (NRFA) has come out in vocal support of the TWU’s initial trio of applications for minimum standards orders and contract chain orders under the new laws, with NRFA board member Chris Roe stating the new laws will form the foundation for further growth in the industry.
“The introduction of the ‘Closing the Loopholes’ laws and the establishment of a Road Transport Division of the Fair Work Commission is a momentous development,” Roe says.
“TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine described these changes as 20 years in the making, but for many of us, this reform feels like a lifetime in the making.
“From the Razorback Blockade of 1979 to the Yass Blockade of 1989, and the disappointment following the demise of the RSRT in 2016, the unity of industry associations and major employers has finally culminated in this sophisticated legislation.
“It will serve as a crucial foundation for ensuring the viability, safety, and sustainability of the transport industry. I hope everyone involved shares the NRFA’s profound satisfaction with this achievement.”
Past President of the NRFA Gordon Mackinlay adds the reform is the result of a mountain of work and advocacy by various industry groups.
“The implementation of this legislation represents recognition from government for years of advocacy by myself, the NRFA, and other industry groups,” Mackinlay says.
“This is not the final step but rather the beginning of a process where industry expertise will shape future minimum standards to create a fair, viable, and safe transport industry.
“Our sector, being an essential service, deserves to be treated as such.”
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