Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal ruling linked to suicides

The Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal’s impact on owner-drivers reportedly contributed to suicides.

The Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal’s impact on individual owner-drivers was significant, with the resultant financial hardship and stress reportedly contributing to suicides.

In her report, Small Business Ombudsman Kate Carnell found the financial strain flowing from the tribunal’s decision caused mental health problems and hurt personal relationships. “Attendees at several community forums and at least one telephone submission and one written submission referred to owner-drivers ‘they knew’ that had taken their own lives as a consequence of ­financial pressure, at least in part, imposed by the payments order,’’ the report says.

“Attendees at multiple forums stated that they were aware of small operators who are reportedly considering suicide.”

“I have a mate in Dubbo that lost his job just because of it,’’ a NSW owner-driver told the ­inquiry.

“And a gentleman I know in Queensland definitely killed himself over it. And that’s all I want to say about that.’’

Attendees at a community consultation in Queensland also reported the suicide of an owner-driver. “It is with great regret and sympathy that it was reported to the inquiry that a few owner-­drivers found they were unable to cope with further hardship caused by the payments order and took their own lives,’’ Ms Carnell’s report found.

She said terms including “mental anguish’’, “immense stress’’, “sleepless nights’’ and “worry and anxiety’’ were used to describe uncertainty around owner-drivers’ ability to earn a sustainable income and the effect of the tribunal order on them and their families.

In a written submission, the wife of an owner-driver said their business lost $20,000 in income during the two-week period of the payments order.

“This put tremendous amounts of stress on the whole family,’’ the said.

“Not only did (my husband) worry about losing his business that he had built up over 14 years, but also the very real possibility of losing our family home.’’

Another wife of an owner-driver said “being new in this ­industry and my husband new to this country, it has been an absolute turmoil in our relationship, our finances and it psychologically has devastated us both’’.

“My husband was living in his truck at the servo in Adelaide unable to come home due to lack of funds,’’ she said. “So, yes, this ideology … has almost killed my husband and I, and we are almost bankrupt ourselves.”