National chaos as Aussie truckies hit the brakes
<p>Up to 7000 truckies are going on strike for 24 hours from today, which could affect the nation's food and fuel supplies. The strike will have a knock-on effect over the next few days so the public has been warned to buy extra food and fuel supplies now.</p>
<p>The truckies have been accused of disrupting medical supplies as well but a Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) statement said it "has never and will never disrupt medical supplies or vaccines.”</p>
<p>The TWU organised the strike, accusing the major employer, Toll, of scrapping overtime entitlements and engaging outside drivers in a bid to compete with global firms like Amazon Flex.</p>
<p>Earlier this week, TWU national secretary Michael Kaine accused Toll of trying to imitate companies like Amazon Flex.</p>
<p>"Toll workers have been forced to take the last resort option to go on strike this week because their jobs are being smashed," Kaine added.</p>
<p>Much like Uber, Amazon Flex describes its model as "you use your own vehicle to deliver packages ... as a way of earning extra money".</p>
<p><strong>Toll argues it has the industry’s best enterprise agreement</strong></p>
<p>Toll has argued back with the TWU, saying its enterprise agreement is the best in the industry.</p>
<p>President of its Toll Global Express businesses, Alan Beacham, has accused the TWU of refusing to compromise during negotiations.</p>
<p>Beacham said: "It is clear the union was always planning this industrial action, no matter how the negotiations were going."</p>
<p>"Toll will not be bullied by the union,” he added. "We will not allow the Australian public to be held to ransom at the behest of the TWU leadership."</p>
<p><strong>4000 TWU members to take part in strike</strong></p>
<p>Beacham said he expects 4000 employees, who are voting TWU members, to take part in the strike rather than the 7000 threatened by the union.</p>
<p>He said Toll had put in place contingency plans to deal with disruptions caused by the strike.</p>
<p>Beacham added: "Instead of attacking Toll at the top of the sector, why aren't the TWU going after the bottom of the sector to raise the standards there?”</p>
<p>But speaking for the TWU, the secretary Michael Kaine said: "It is an abomination that billionaire retailers like Amazon are smashing profit records while ripping off transport supply chains and crushing the jobs of the truck drivers who've risked the health of their families to deliver parcels and keep shelves stocked."</p>
<p><em>Photo: Shutterstock</em></p>
