Vic Govt pledges fixed rates for tipper drivers

The Victorian State Government has promised to mandate minimum hourly rates for tip truck owner drivers across all government infrastructure projects

The TWU has applauded the Victorian Premier for his announcement at the 2017 TWU (Vic/Tas Branch) Delegates Conference which the union says should put an end to dodgy plant hirers operating on the often below parity pay-by-the-load system exploiting vulnerable owner/drivers.

TWU Branch Secretary John Berger said the securing of minimum rates followed a long and sustained TWU campaign and was both a huge win for underpaid drivers and a de-facto road safety measure.

"I congratulate the Andrews Labor Government, and the Premier himself, for not only being the first state government to publicly recognise the seriousness of this situation, but to also do something about it," Berger said.

"It is beyond time that these drivers and their families received the decent and fair pay that they have always been entitled to."

Premier Andrews told the conference: "I want to thank John Berger and the TWU for your leadership, for your advocacy, you have made us understand how important this issue is and that is why I am so very proud to make this commitment today."

The load system has led to significant undercutting and safety breaches and has provided incentives for drivers to adopt unsafe practices, like working dangerously long hours, illegally overloading trucks and breaking road rules.

The TWU said it has been publicly warning authorities about the exponential increase in tipper accidents over recent years, a situation only set to worsen with works on dozens of level crossings yet to commence and the Western Distributor, Metro Tunnel and North-East Link projects – that will cost up to $1billion a kilometre to tunnel – still to get under way.

Berger said tipper drivers currently work without certainty regarding income, conditions and hours and are vulnerable to exploitation.

"They struggle to make truck repayments, maintain the vehicle, feed the family and put the kids through school and — out of desperation — make the decision to break road rules to get the next load," he said.

"It is a brutal existence for many and the situation is at flashpoint now as more and more of these drivers are operating dangerously each day in densely-populated suburban areas, anecdotally, breaking fatigue laws, speeding, running red lights and, sometimes, rolling when cornering, while packed with over 20 tonnes of construction site debris."

The State Government has been developing a Code of Practice for the tipper industry but this week’s announcement was the first concrete commitment that safe rates would be incorporated into all mud-carting contracts for state works.

Mr Andrews said it was time that all workers on State Government infrastructure projects "shared in the benefits of that investment in a fair and equitable way."

Over 300 TWU Delegates, Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs) from Victoria and Tasmania attended the conference this week at Moonee Valley racecourse.

Vic Govt pledges fixed rates for tipper drivers

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