The Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT) is an independent national body with functions relating to the road transport industry. It is effectively the “Trucking Industry Fair Work Tribunal.” It can apply to road transport drivers, employers or hirers of road transport drivers, and participants in the supply chain in relation to road transport drivers.
The RSRT’s functions include:
- making road safety remuneration orders;
- approving road transport collective agreements;
- dealing with certain disputes relating to road transport drivers, their employers or hirers, and participants in the supply chain; and
- conducting research into pay, conditions and related matters that could be affecting safety in the road transport industry.
The end goal of the Tribunal is to adjudicate and research into ways of making the road transportation industry more economical, sustainable, and safe. The tribunal is not just looking into creating a scheme that economically benefits road transport drivers, but also considers the underlying assumptions on which the road transport industry operates. For example, ensuring that road transport drivers do not have remuneration-related incentives to work in an unsafe manner.
You may be hearing more about this organisation in the coming months. In December 2013, the Tribunal released its first road safety remuneration order (RSRO) after consultation with industry stakeholders such as Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd, Linfox Australia Pty Ltd, Toll Holdings Limited,Transport Workers’ Union of Australia and the National Union of Workers among others.
This RSRO is titled Road Transport and Distribution and Long Distance Operations Road Safety Remuneration Order 2014 and it applies to road transport drivers employed or engaged in:
a) the road transport and distribution industry within the meaning of the Road Transport and Distribution Award 2010 as in force on 1 July 2012, in respect of the provision by the road transport driver of a road transport service wholly or substantially in relation to goods, wares, merchandise, material or anything whatsoever destined for sale or hire by a supermarket chain; or
b) long distance operations in the private transport industry within the meaning of the Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award 2010 as in force on 1 July 2012.
The RSRO sets out requirements regarding:
- Payment time – now within 30 days of a received invoice for contractor drivers;
- Written contracts for road transport drivers – may be in an electronic format;
- Contracts between supply chain participants;
- Safe driving plans for drivers undertaking long distance operations in a motor vehicle with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of more than 4.5 tonnes;
- Training in work health and safety;
- Drug and alcohol policies; and
- Dispute resolution and adverse conduct protection.
This RSRO commences on 1 May 2014 and lasts for four years. The stakeholders will now have just two more months with which to get their processes, procedures and contracts ready.
