TWU Statement on Resignation of Toll MD Michael Byrne

Michael Kaine TWU National Secretary: Michael Byrne has made bold decisions and extracted significant support from the company’s new owners when its workforce stood together and demanded fair standards, including safe rates and superannuation increases which are vital to the health of our economy.

We are now entering a new cycle of bargaining and the TWU has high expectations that Toll bring a constructively approach to ensure standards are maintained. We understanding the new Toll managing director Thomas Knudsen has experience working around the world and we looking forward to meeting him.

The road transport industry faces significant challenges because of the continued lack of regulation on companies at the top of the supply chain, including major retailers, manufacturers and oil companies. In this climate transport operators and drivers are forced to struggle on low margins, resulting in high numbers of deaths, injuries and bankruptcies. This environment is likely to only worsen with the potential entry into the market of the likes of Amazon and Uber’s online freight systems. Toll has been working constructively with drivers, other operators and industry associations to back the current Senate Inquiry into safety and sustainability in transport. We look forward to their continued involvement in this regard.