Barton and his Transport Matters Party have welcomed a move to establish an independent body for safe rates
Last week the Victorian government made commitments if they are re-elected to establish an independent, minimum standard-setting body that will have the power to enforce safe rates in Victoria.
This comes after significant lobbying by the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) Victoria & Tasmania and follows a motion presented in the Victorian Legislative Council in May 2022 by Rod Barton of the Transport Matters Party calling on the government to establish a tribunal to oversee long exploited transport workers.
The Safe Rates campaign has fought to lift standards for all transport workers, arguing for more regulation, binding arrangements with economic employers, robust enterprise agreements and rights and protections for owner-operators.
While the federal government has committed to establishing a body to set minimum and enforceable standards for drivers, Safe Rates will further safeguard their interests at a state level by providing necessary additional protections.
Barton says this new business model has hidden behind laws that were never written to capture this kind of work, and the goalposts have shifted every time the law has tried to catch up. Without regulation, Barton says he has seen drivers that are paid less than the minimum wage and are subject to unfair termination.
He says contractor loopholes that enable the exploitation of drivers and encourage the race to the bottom for pay and conditions must be closed.
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The politician says an independent body such as Safe Rates will create standards for all transport workers protecting pay, conditions and the rights of owner-drivers, will promote healthy competition and keep owner-drivers in business.
Barton says he is proud of his part in making this happen and looks forward to working with the TWU to achieve further outcomes for the CPV industry and all transport workers should he be fortunate enough to be re-elected on November 26.
“So much work has been done just to get to this stage. Road transport is the deadliest industry in Australia, that is why we urgently need an independent body to set standards and protect workers,” politician Rod Barton says.
“Make no mistake, this is only the first step in the fight against the exploitative business models prevailing in the gig economy. I will continue fighting for greater regulation that protects Victoria’s most vulnerable workers.”