Truck drivers declare ‘national emergency’ over road deaths and poor working conditions

Frustrated truck drivers have turned out in capital cities across the country to protest a rise in road fatalities.

Australia’s truck drivers are pushing for federal action over what they say are hazardous working conditions, unfair pay, and a lack of minimum safety standards.

A large convoy of trucks and buses descended onto Canberra’s Parliament House on Saturday afternoon to call for “urgent” industry reform.

Transport Workers Union national secretary Michael Kaine said truck drivers and transport workers are being pushed to the limit across the nation.

It joined a nationwide convoy of trucks seen in other major cities like Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Transport Worker’s Union National Secretary Michael Kaine said it’s time for reform. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

He said workers were under pressure to work longer hours behind the wheel without breaks or access to sick leave, which endangers their lives and the lives of others.

“Road transport is the deadliest industry in the country,” Mr Kaine said.

“Just since Wednesday, in the space of three days, we’ve had eight Australians losing their lives on our routes. Three of them have been road transport workers.

“We’ve got hundreds of Australians being pulled by this industry every year, and before the parliament is a bill that’s going to lift the pressures are going to minimise that so it’s really a national emergency.”

This year, 156 people have been killed in truck crashes – roughly five deaths a week – and 39 of those were truck drivers.

Under proposed changes to federal Labor’s major workplace reforms, the Fair Work Commission would be given powers to set minimum workplace standards for the road and transport industry.

Long-time truck driver and National Road Freighters Association vice president Glyn Castanelli said enforced standards were “desperately needed.”

“Industry is in a race to the bottom at the moment,” he said.

“The longer it goes on, the more companies that will go broke, the more people will decide to sell their equipment instead of continuing their business.

“We’ll end up with a first-world country trying to feed themselves off a third-world transport industry – that’s where we’re heading now.”

NSW Labor Senator Tony Sheldon joined transport union members and truck drivers at a rally outside Parliament House. Picture: Martin Ollman/NCA NewsWire.

Crowds massed in front of Parliament House. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Labor’s plans to pass laws which seek to close ‘loopholes’ that undercut workers pay and conditions were derailed in September, after Independent crossbenchers teamed up with the Coalition to delay the bill until February 2024. They argue the massive legislation needs more time to be properly assessed before it passes the Senate.

NSW Labor Senator Tony Sheldon, a key architect of the reforms, said he hoped Independents Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock would “get on board” with the bill and told the Coalition to “get out of the way.”

“This is a massive safety, fairness, and decency issue for a tough industry. They [transport workers] need answers now,” Senator Shelton told NCA NewsWire.

“As long as this legislation keeps waiting and waiting and waiting, it means that more and more drivers are put at risk.”

Originally published as Truck drivers declare ‘national emergency’ over road deaths and poor working conditions