Media advisory: FIRST Union
Wednesday October 24, 2012

Groundbreaking Australian ‘safe rates’ legislation discussed on Friday

The instigators of Australian legislation addressing the impact of truck driver remuneration systems that encourage unsafe practises will brief the New Zealand road transport industry this Friday.

The Transport Workers Union of Australia (TWU) campaigned for ‘safe rates’ legislation in Australia for over 20 years.

In July this year, the Road Safety Remuneration Act came into force. It is understood to be the world’s first law that makes clients responsible for the safe transportation of their goods.

On Friday, the TWU’s Michael Kaine will brief guests from road transport peak bodies, logistics firms, political parties and unions, at a seminar organised by FIRST Union, the union for truck drivers in New Zealand.

Karl Andersen, FIRST Union Transport & Logistics Secretary, said a law change is also needed in New Zealand to stop truck drivers having pay systems that encouraged unsafe practises.

Ends.

About Michael Kaine

Michael is the National Assistant Secretary of the Transport Workers’ Union of Australia. He was elected to that position in 2006. Before, he was the Chief Legal Advisor to the Transport Workers’ Union of NSW. Michael was admitted as a solicitor in NSW in 1999, and prior to taking up a position with the TWU he was employed in the NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office, working in the areas of community law, commercial law and torts.

About the new law

Australia’s Road Safety Remuneration Act 2012 came into effect on July 1st 2012.

The object of the Act is to promote safety and fairness in the road transport industry by:

a) ensuring that road transport drivers do not have remuneration related incentives to work in an unsafe manner;
b) removing remuneration related incentives, pressures and practices that contribute to unsafe work practices;
c) ensuring that road transport drivers are paid for their work, including loading or unloading their vehicles or waiting for someone else to load or unload their vehicles;
d) developing and applying reasonable and enforceable standards throughout the road transport industry supply chain to ensure the safety of road transport drivers;
e) ensuring that hirers of road transport drivers and participants in the supply chain take responsibility for implementing and maintaining those standards;
f) facilitating access to dispute resolution procedures relating to remuneration and related conditions for road transport drivers.

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