AU Truckies to switch off engines

[fnord]

Well ain't this gonna suck

Truckies' strike will stop food supplies

Simon O'Brien
July 20, 2008

ROGUE truck drivers are planning a nationwide two-week strike that they say could starve people of food and fuel.

In a quest for better pay and conditions, the organisers - led by the Australian Long Distance Owners' and Drivers' Association, a national alliance of truck drivers, and two transport tycoons - hope Australia's truckies will kill their engines for two weeks from July 28.

One of the transport company owners, Peter Schuback of Queensland's Hervey Bay, said low pay, poor highways, insufficient stopping bays and inflexible driving-time regulations had made the industry unsustainable.

He said the stoppage would show the public what would happen if the industry were to collapse. "On day three of the stoppage shops will run out of food, on day four service stations will run out of petrol, on day five we will run out of [drinkable] water ... and on day 10 industry will shut down because there will be no power," Mr Schuback said.

"We expect 80 per cent of the transport industry to take a holiday. "A lot of transport companies have been threatening their staff that they will sack them if they do it, but the truckies know that there aren't a lot of them around, so who are they going to replace them with?"

Mr Schuback said there were not enough truck stopping bays and few had adequate toilet facilities.

If a bay was already full, and a truckie had to drive on to another after their maximum allowed travel time, in Queensland they could be fined $1500 plus $100 for each additional 15 minutes driving time, and receive six demerit points.

For many drivers, their costs outstripped their pay, he said.

"If you drive an average of about 220,000 kilometres a year, it costs $2.36 a kilometre," he said.

"That takes into account all costs of running that vehicle. However, we have drivers getting as little as $1.35 a kilometre and they are going broke rapidly. We are asking the Government for a minimum rate that will make the industry sustainable."

Stoppage organisers have circulated text messages among the country's 100,000 drivers to spread their message.

However, the protest does not have union backing.

Transport Workers Union Queensland branch secretary Hughie Williams said the union was already lobbying the Government to introduce a scheme to automatically compensate truckies for their costs.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Julia Gillard said the Government was willing to investigate pay rates in the transport industry and consider specific measures to assist truck drivers.

"The Government recognises that there are serious concerns about conditions in the road transport industry," she said in a statement.

[Crazy_Vasey]

So they're going on a 14 day strike when they expect the shops to run out of food within three days. Either that's hyperbole or these boys are the biggest bastards to ever run a strike action. Would Australia be able to use the military to keep food and water suppplies moving if it came down to it?

[Wanderer]

So they're going on a 14 day strike when they expect the shops to run out of food within three days. Either that's hyperbole or these boys are the biggest bastards to ever run a strike action. Would Australia be able to use the military to keep food and water suppplies moving if it came down to it?

Not likely as more likely more than a pittance.

[Wanderer]

Ghetto Edit: Not more than a pittance most likely.

[Aaron]

So they're going on a 14 day strike when they expect the shops to run out of food within three days. Either that's hyperbole or these boys are the biggest bastards to ever run a strike action. Would Australia be able to use the military to keep food and water suppplies moving if it came down to it?

The Aussie military isn't big enough to keep things going for everyone. Likely they'd be employed delivering supplies to those at most risk: the elderly and people with small children.

Now I'm sure they have ROWPU units that they can set up at a river and then truck the water to a central location (like a community center) and dole out water rations along with whatever food can be supplied.

But if your expecting them to step in and act as replacement truckers, well that's just not going to happen. A good portion of the Army isn't even qualified to drive a rig.

[Phantasee]

Ooh, vicious bastards. But truck stops are important for safety. Fatigued drivers are dangerous drivers, and that's why they have those huge fines for going too long.

The rates per kilometre are pretty low too, it's harder for highway truckers to break even now with diesel so expensive. The costs are going up but the pressure is on them to keep rates low. That's why I don't drive highway: low pay, lots of time away from home, few showers. Gravel hauling keeps you home at night, and you get paid some of the best rates in the trucking industry (at least here).

[chitoryu12]

I don't exactly think that trying to stop food from getting to people is going to make truckers that popular. Even if they succeed, by some small chance, in getting what they ask for, they're going to be given the repuation as the biggest assholes in Australia.

[Crazy_Vasey]

The Aussie military isn't big enough to keep things going for everyone. Likely they'd be employed delivering supplies to those at most risk: the elderly and people with small children.

Now I'm sure they have ROWPU units that they can set up at a river and then truck the water to a central location (like a community center) and dole out water rations along with whatever food can be supplied.

But if your expecting them to step in and act as replacement truckers, well that's just not going to happen. A good portion of the Army isn't even qualified to drive a rig.

Yeah, I was thinking a sort of minimal, emergency service like what the British Army stepped in to provide with their ancient fire trucks when the firemen went on strike here. Sounds like even that might be a difficult one to do here, though. Bad situation, to say the least.

[salm]

I don't exactly think that trying to stop food from getting to people is going to make truckers that popular. Even if they succeed, by some small chance, in getting what they ask for, they're going to be given the repuation as the biggest assholes in Australia.

Better to be the biggest asshole than working under what appear to be really shitty condiditons. Being nice won´t get you anywhere sometimes esspecially if being nice means delivering at an expense while other people profit from it.
How else should these people make their situation clear? By writing a letter to their customers?
If their services are reasonably necessary then they should get a reasonablea amount of money for their work.

[RedImperator]

So they're going on a 14 day strike when they expect the shops to run out of food within three days. Either that's hyperbole or these boys are the biggest bastards to ever run a strike action. Would Australia be able to use the military to keep food and water suppplies moving if it came down to it?

The Aussie military isn't big enough to keep things going for everyone. Likely they'd be employed delivering supplies to those at most risk: the elderly and people with small children.

Now I'm sure they have ROWPU units that they can set up at a river and then truck the water to a central location (like a community center) and dole out water rations along with whatever food can be supplied.

But if your expecting them to step in and act as replacement truckers, well that's just not going to happen. A good portion of the Army isn't even qualified to drive a rig.

Kevin Rudd could always take a page out of Harry Truman's book and draft the truckers.

[Stark]

While this is pretty terrible, trucking companies have been fucking with truckers for a long, long time. It won't take all 14 days to get a result, I imagine.

[tim31]

Kevin Rudd's against nuclear power generation; It's very unlikely he'd support a draft

The people in the cities will learn that food doesn't just materialize. The people in regional communities will simply be fucked. This won't happen though; it's all hot air. ALTA doesn't have the balls.

[fnord]

Sorry if this is not quite de riguer, but have something relevant:

Truckies told to strike or else - SMH

Truckies told to strike or else


July 27, 2008 - 6:58PM
Page 1 of 2

Truck drivers in Queensland have received letters and text messages telling them to stop work or risk violent attacks, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) says.

Strike action pushed by two Queensland groups - the Australian Long Distance Owners and Drivers Association (ALDODA) and the National Road Transport Forum (NRTF) - has no union backing, the TWU says.

The two groups say thousands of truckies will organise a picket line at oil refineries across Australia from midnight tonight to stay in place for a fortnight, protesting low pay rates, backloading and soaring fuel and registration costs.

Organisers are calling it a nationwide strike, but a TWU spokesman said they were a local "fringe group" and the action was limited to drivers in Queensland.

ALDODA president Lyn Bennetts has warned in a letter that truck drivers could face violent repercussions if they defied the call to strike and kept driving.

"Some drivers are going to be targeted if they are caught driving during the shutdown, this is an unfortunate part of any dispute; innocent people do get hurt," she says in the letter, which was made available by the TWU.

"Responsibility will not be held by ALDODA or any of the shutdown organisers for the safety of any driver who continues to drive while the shutdown is on.

"... so to ensure your own safety please don't keep driving."

A TWU spokesman said truck drivers had received threatening text messages as well as the letter.

"There's been some reports that these groups have been sending out messages threatening drivers who don't support it, threatening with violence," he said.

"It's not properly organised, it's not going to be controlled by anyone. It has the potential to turn quite nasty."

The action will not involve major transport companies or major union drivers, the spokesman said.

"We've heard reports they've tried to do this a couple of times over the last 12 months, but it just hasn't succeeded," he said.

If the unsanctioned action turned violent it could be damaging to truck drivers everywhere, the spokesman said.

An association member and Queensland truck owner, who wanted to be known only as Paula, said the association did not condone the threats of violence.

"There has been threats. My husband is a driver, I'm a driver, there has been people stupid enough to say nasty things ... but we don't know where it's coming from," she said.

"But we (ALDODA) don't encourage this. We want this to be peaceful."

Page 2 of 2
Advertisement

Truck drivers in Queensland have received letters and text messages telling them to stop work or risk violent attacks, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) says.

Strike action pushed by two Queensland groups - the Australian Long Distance Owners and Drivers Association (ALDODA) and the National Road Transport Forum (NRTF) - has no union backing, the TWU says.

The two groups say thousands of truckies will organise a picket line at oil refineries across Australia from midnight tonight to stay in place for a fortnight, protesting low pay rates, backloading and soaring fuel and registration costs.

Organisers are calling it a nationwide strike, but a TWU spokesman said they were a local "fringe group" and the action was limited to drivers in Queensland.

ALDODA president Lyn Bennetts has warned in a letter that truck drivers could face violent repercussions if they defied the call to strike and kept driving.

"Some drivers are going to be targeted if they are caught driving during the shutdown, this is an unfortunate part of any dispute; innocent people do get hurt," she says in the letter, which was made available by the TWU.

"Responsibility will not be held by ALDODA or any of the shutdown organisers for the safety of any driver who continues to drive while the shutdown is on.

"... so to ensure your own safety please don't keep driving."

A TWU spokesman said truck drivers had received threatening text messages as well as the letter.

"There's been some reports that these groups have been sending out messages threatening drivers who don't support it, threatening with violence," he said.

"It's not properly organised, it's not going to be controlled by anyone. It has the potential to turn quite nasty."

The action will not involve major transport companies or major union drivers, the spokesman said.

"We've heard reports they've tried to do this a couple of times over the last 12 months, but it just hasn't succeeded," he said.

If the unsanctioned action turned violent it could be damaging to truck drivers everywhere, the spokesman said.

An association member and Queensland truck owner, who wanted to be known only as Paula, said the association did not condone the threats of violence.

"There has been threats. My husband is a driver, I'm a driver, there has been people stupid enough to say nasty things ... but we don't know where it's coming from," she said.

"But we (ALDODA) don't encourage this. We want this to be peaceful."

Truck drivers would risk their livelihoods for better conditions, she said.

"I could end up losing my home, but many of us could lose our house now.

"I've been in the industry for 15 years, and it's not bad management that will bring my business to an end.

"It's backloading. You get paid less on the return journey. You're basically being paid for half the job. It's not covering the fuel. None of us have a livable rate. The men are working twice as hard to survive which is dangerous."

Ms Bennetts said in the letter that 80 per cent of 65,000 owner drivers across Australia would take part in the strike.

She could not be contacted for comment.

Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said police were negotiating with the trucking industry to ensure any blockade had minimal impact on commuters.

"If a blockade goes ahead motorists are advised to avoid the CBD where possible, especially during the hours of 10am-2pm," Mr Atkinson said.

"Peak-hour commuters should also consider leaving home half an hour early to avoid any possible earlier delays."

Police Minister Judy Spence encouraged people to use public transport or to cycle to work.