The Transport Workers Union has been sharply critical of the decision to recognise New Zealand truck licences in Australia and to extend exemptions to drive for those who have expired medicals, urging that action be taken on the recommendations of a landmark Senate report tabled six months ago.
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The Without Trucks, Australia Stops report - tabled to the federal Senate on August 25, 2021 - was the result of an extensive two-year inquiry.
Stop-gap rule changes have been implemented to circumvent COVID-generated supply chain issues in the transport industry which the TWU says means there no requirement for foreign drivers to understand local road rules or industry requirements, like fatigue management, mandatory breaks and how to handle Australia's most dangerous roads.
The union says there has been "years of inaction to tackle deadly pressure throughout supply chains", and says the rushed changes mean the government is "cutting corners on safety in essential transport workplaces".
The TWU has written to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Austroads to demand consultation on licensing changes as it says many Australian roads require significant training and knowledge.
BLAKE'S LEGACY:
TWU national secretary Michael Kaine says that truck drivers "have never been more fatigued, less financially secure and under greater pressure from companies at the top than they are today".
"When you couple these crippling pressures with gig bottom-feeders like Amazon undercutting the industry at every opportunity, it's no wonder truckies are leaving transport in droves," he said.
Truck driving has been described as "Australia's deadliest industry". The TWU says that over the last five months, a truck driver has died on Australian roads every six days.
Research conducted two years ago by Dr Chris Walker from the University of NSW provided an in-depth look at Australia's trucking industry which he described as operating its equipment, such as B-doubles and road trains, in environments unlike any other in the world.
He said that better driver awareness and education is needed, alongside infrastructure improvements, to reduce the road toll related to truck accidents.
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