The trucking industry in Australia appears split over attempts by two of the industry’s representative organisations to organised a nationwide stoppage of truck transport.

The stoppage, which commenced this morning in Australia has been organised by the Queensland based National Road Transport Forum and Australian Long Distance Owners and Drivers Association in response to increased fuel prices and proposed legislation by Australia’s Labor government which would see a raft of new charges imposed on the industry.(*)

The National Road Transport Forum’s Mick Pattell indicated that the stoppage was necessary, saying that truckers "really had to this this to highlight the plight of the industry."  Pattell hoped the public would back the drivers concerns and that the government would react quickly to the stoppage.

However the Australian Trucking Association and the Transport Workers Union have not supported the stoppage, the chairman of the Australian Trucking Association, Trevor Martyn saying that he understood the hardships that many in the industry were going through, but that shutdowns were not the answer. 

“Many owner drivers and small trucking companies are in crisis because of the spiraling price of diesel, which has gone up 50 cents per litre since last October. Many people in the trucking industry are now watching their life’s work collapse around them,” Mr Martyn said. "But going on strike and standing around truck stops for two weeks isn’t the answer."

The stoppage is planned to last for two weeks with repercussions expected for both retailers and consumers, should truck drivers choose to join the nationwide action.

Source: ABC News, Australian Trucking Association and The Sydney Morning Herald

Update: Truck drivers in the state of Western Australia have decided against joining the two-week nationwide truck stoppage.  The decision was made after a brief gathering of truck drivers in Kewdale and a subsequent protest drive to a point close to the Parliament of Western Australia.

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