The Senate must pass the Fair Work Amendment (Fairer Fuel) Bill to save trucking businesses struggling to cope with crippling fuel bills and dwindling funds, Australian Trucking Association CEO Mathew Munro said today.
Mr Munro said the terminal gate price of diesel had risen from less than 166 cents per litre to more than 309 cents per litre because of the Iran war.
"Trucking businesses cannot absorb this increase. Most do not have the ability to pass it on; they are running out of time; they are running out of money; they can't see a way forward," Mr Munro said.
"Last week, the ATA's member council called for an amendment to the Fair Work Act to allow the commission to make urgent fuel price orders.
"The commission already has the power to issue orders that apply across the road transport contract chain, including to the industry's customers, but issuing those orders is a deliberately slow process," he said.
In response to the ATA's call and a similar proposal from the TWU and ARTIO, the Government introduced the Fair Work Amendment (Fairer Fuel) Bill into the House of Representatives this morning. The House passed the bill, and it will now be considered by the Senate.
"The Government's bill is wider than our original proposal, because it could be used to respond to a range of events or circumstances, not only fuel price spikes," he said.
"The bill includes a strong safeguard against misuse. Before the commission can even get started on considering an emergency application, the minister must be satisfied that there is a significant national negative impact on the road transport industry and that it is in the public interest to consider the application.
"It's been suggested that the Senate should consider amendments to the bill. This might be reasonable if we had the luxury of time. However, this is an emergency situation, and Australia's small trucking businesses are in crisis right now.
"The Senate must pass the bill as it stands before it rises for the Easter break. There will be ample opportunities to review the legislation after we have dealt with the emergency, including when parliament looks at the Government's response to the review of the Closing Loopholes Acts."
