Car carriers strike in NSW

Around 100 drivers have committed to industrial action to protest about pay rates in the NSW car-carrying sector, with the Transport Workers Union (TWU) announcing the strike would take place today outside CEVA car carriers in the southwestern Sydney suburb of Minto.

The State Secretary of the Transport Workers' Union of NSW, Richard Olsen, said current pay rates were unsustainable, given recent increases in sub-contractor drivers' costs.

"New managers, sitting at their desks, are seeking to dictate to drivers what they should be paid, despite families losing out because rates of pay are not covering the costs of doing the job," Mr Olsen stated via a media release.

"Drivers warned the companies that labour would be withdrawn if this situation continued. Drivers want to have all involved come back to the table and negotiate in good faith a deal that gets the drivers much closer to covering their costs.

"Members have been warning the Australian Industry Group (AIG) and car carrying companies about this issue for some time. Car-carrier contract drivers have market pressure from below that they cannot negotiate with. They cannot negotiate the price of fuel with their vendor; they cannot negotiate the price of insurance and registration; they cannot negotiate with their mortgage provider – yet the companies expect them to do their job for less.

"Companies are not looking to properly compensate drivers for costs incurred."

In recent history the Australian Industry Group (AIG), representing the car carriers, has negotiated with the TWU to arrive at mutually agreed rates. Earlier this year the TWU called on AIG to increase pay rates by 3.4 per cent, to help offset recent increases in fuel and insurance, among other costs.

However, the car carriers have offered an increase of two per cent, leading to the current stalemate.