TWU STATEMENT ON BLENNERS TRANSPORT – QLD Branch Media Release

Fatigue mismanagement was rife across the entire company, and indicative of an enormous amount of pressure on drivers to work long hours and be forced into dangerous situations – both for themselves and the public.

The system is broken when a large company can avoid hundreds of chargers, whilst the only charges which have stuck are against the drivers who were pushed to work such hours just to make ends meet.

Transport Workers’ Union Queensland Branch Secretary Peter Biagini today said that this result was particularly disappointing, given the sheer number of fatigue-related charges that were raised.

“It’s ridiculous to say that these drivers risked their lives, and the lives of the public, through their own choices” said Biagini.

“There was quite obviously an enormous amount of pressure placed on these drivers, which is of course rife throughout the transport industry”

“When hundreds of charges are dropped on technicalities, safety on the road is compromised due to this flawed system”

“Transport workers deserve an independent body which can properly prosecute employers who push their workers to work such extraordinary hours”

“Clearly this system doesn’t work – we had a system which was set up to combat this gross abuse of power, but that was torn down by the current Federal Government”

“It is infuriating that time and time again we see employers place huge amounts of pressure on drivers, contributing to dangerous behaviour and potential accidents, and get away with it”

“It’s time employers were held to account for the pressure that they place through the supply chain, which directly contributes to transport being the most dangerous industry in Australia”

“Truck drivers are six times more likely to die at work, with fatigue being a major contributing factor – but those who are putting these pressures on drivers are walking away scot free”

The Transport Workers’ Union will continue to fight back against employers who attempt to push pressure down the supply chain onto their drivers, and push for an independent body to properly prosecute such cases.