Truck drivers from across Australia protest for major industry reforms
Hundreds of truck drivers and transport workers from across Australia took to the roads today calling for federal parliament to pass major industry reforms. Dozens of people have already died in truck crashes this year, and the sector says it's in crisis.
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00:00 In Canberra and Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, truck drivers took to capital city streets
00:09 today with one clear message.
00:13 This industry needs reform.
00:15 What do we want?
00:16 Reform!
00:17 Hundreds of workers converged on federal parliament as across the country, convoys of truck drivers,
00:23 industry groups and employers pushed for safer and fairer industry standards.
00:27 We've got operators and drivers that are forced to cut corners, they're forced to rush, they're
00:31 out on the road too long, they're skipping brakes.
00:34 As well as more supply chain accountability and an end to gig worker exploitation.
00:38 They treat us like employees but we don't have such employee rights.
00:41 Everybody says, you know, that these truck drivers are dumb truck drivers, but no, we're
00:45 not.
00:46 We keep this country going.
00:47 A two year senate inquiry found the transport sector as one of the country's most dangerous
00:51 industries.
00:52 The union says 34 truck drivers have already died this year.
00:56 We've got people dying on the roads, we've got members of the community that are dying
01:00 on the roads and something needs to change.
01:02 The industry's in crisis.
01:03 This year federal parliament will vote on whether to pass significant industry reforms.
01:08 They need to understand the lives that you're living, they need to understand the dangerous
01:12 work that you do and they need to understand that the industry itself needs regulation.
01:18 But the government needs the support of the crossbench.
01:21 The time has come, this is a moment in time for the federal parliament.
01:26 Any other industry, there would be a royal commission.
01:29 We can't give up now, we've come this close, we're in a position where we can push this
01:33 across the line.
01:35 It's a line the industry hopes will help put it back in the driver's seat.
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