TWU IN COMMISSION WITH TOLL TRANSPORT AS TOLL ATTEMPT TO UNDERMINE THE AWARD

The TWU and Toll Transport will appear in the Fair Work Commission (FWC) today, as the company attempts to justify a process that will undermine industry conditions for thousands of workers and will allow bottom-feeder companies to pile on and undermine the provisions in the Road Transport and Distribution Award.

Toll has applied to the FWC to vary the Road Transport and Distribution Award and make changes to penalty rates for shift workers in transport on non-continuous afternoon or night shifts. Toll are asking for those changes to be backdated to 2010.

Toll initially committed to fix the problem and promised to back pay underpaid workers at a site in Tomago, but with underpayments running into the millions at one site, the company has instead headed to the Commission to change the Award.

Richard Olsen, State Secretary of the Transport Workers’ Union said, “We would expect more from an industry leader, instead because Toll was caught out underpaying workers, it wants to make changes that would affect the entire industry, leaving workers out of pocket and fuelling a race to the bottom. We will fight to ensure penalties continue to apply to workers as set out in the current Award provisions.”

The TWU expects more from Toll who should be working constructively with drivers and the TWU to lift conditions and support industry calls for an independent Federal body to set fair standards.

Media Inquiries – Colin Henderson 0405625208