Union blames Federal government for death of 200 truck drivers
The Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) has blamed Federal Government inaction for the deaths of 200 truck drivers and warned that death rates will increase as pressures are exacerbated by extreme demand during the pandemic. Last Sunday, a truck driver was found dead following a truck fire, bringing the death toll for truckies to 200 in just over five years, while the overall number of people killed in truck crashes has reached almost 1,000 in the same time period.
In April 2016, the Liberal National Party (LNP) Government abolished the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, established by the previous Labor government, despite its own report concluding that truck crashes would be reduced by 28 per cent. A Federal Government report called for the tribunal’s abolition because of its “significant cost to the economy … with any potential safety benefits significantly outweighed by the associated costs”. The tribunal’s annual funding was $4 million. Research shows heavy vehicle crashes cost $4.64 billion a year.
TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine called for urgent government regulation to address the growing crisis in trucking. “Last year we heard the Prime Minister call truck drivers ‘heroes’, but when it comes to the alarming death rates, poor vaccination access, workplace outbreaks and truckies forced to queue for hours in the rain for COVID tests, he is completely silent.
“A truck driver killed every 10 days – that’s the legacy of the LNP Government’s reckless move to rip down a road safety watchdog to line the pockets of their mates at the top of trucking supply chains. For more than five years since, the Federal Government’s inaction has enabled wealthy retailers, manufacturers and oil companies to put a deadly squeeze on transport contracts, forcing operators and drivers to cut corners in safety to stay in business."
Earlier this year a major study by Monash University revealed chronic health problems in trucking, including over 80 per cent of drivers overweight or obese, one in five suffering from depression, over 70 per cent living with chronic pain and almost a third with multiple chronic health conditions. Source: TWU media release
ATENÇÃO:
O Estudo citado acima traz anexo com síntese dos achados do DRIVING HEALTH STUDY
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