Retailers have vowed to introduce stricter time slotting and slash truck queues under a new agreement.

The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) says it has incorporated time slot and queuing principles and standards into the existing Retail Logistics Supply Chain Code of Conduct after winning agreement from signatories.

ALC Chief Executive Hal Morris says it is the first step in ensuring truck drivers have more time to do their jobs and less sitting in queues outside depots.

The new principles aim to improve on-time delivery, truck turnaround times and compliance with chain of responsibility and safety requirements.

"Retailers, along with transport and logistics providers, have been working proactively together to address these problems and I am proud that this positive step forward has been made to make a real difference," Morris says.

"The transport industry has long run up against long queues of trucks at dispatch and receipt locations and this will bite even harder with the soon to be introduced national fatigue laws that will class the time in the queues as driving time.

"Inconsistent time slotting and queuing practices has resulted in drivers waiting unacceptable time before loading or unloading, in some cases for many hours, leading to drivers exceeding their driving hours and also to unnecessary additional emissions, particularly from cold storage which must be kept running while waiting.

"This hits drivers particularly hard when they are paid by kilometre, not by the time spent at the wheel, thereby encouraging unsafe driving practices.

Under the code, signatories – including Coles, Woolworths, Franklins, Metcash and other major retailers – agree to implement best practice in an auditable framework.

The incorporation of time slotting and queuing principles and standards into the RLSC Code of Conduct audit framework has been endorsed by the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) and the code of conduct management committee.

"The code of conduct is proven to improve safety, performance and reliability, delivering benefits for business and its workers," Morris says.

"I urge all companies, including manufacturers, who have not yet joined the code of conduct to do so to gain these real benefits for their supply chains."

Tuesday 05 August 2008

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Members of the Queensland Public Sector Union in the Department of Main Roads are walking out on strike today for the first time in 20 years, as part of the escalating campaign for a fair public sector wages increase.

The 24-hour stoppage will affect approximately 1,000 infrastructure workers in all areas of the Department across Queensland, from engineering crews to central and regional offices.

The strike will is affecting work on major projects across Queensland, such as the Ipswich Motorway and Bruce Highway upgrades, and the Gateway Bridge duplication.

This action is taking place at the same time that health workers around the state are voting to reject Premier Anna Bligh’s 3.25 percent wage offer.

QPSU General Secretary Alex Scott says public sector workers are angry the government’s wage offer will not keep up with their rising cost of living.

"We’re campaigning because public sector workers should not have to bear more than their fair share of the pain from price increases. At 5.1 percent, inflation in Brisbane is higher than any other capital city in Australia, and it continues to rise faster than the government has predicted.

"Our members will not accept a real wages cut at a time when prices are rising, and we will be using whatever tools are necessary – political action, industrial action, and community pressure – to make the Premier and the Treasurer take their heads out of the sand", Scott says.

Scott says that unless the government revised its wages policy soon, a campaign of industrial stoppages across Main Roads and other government departments would continue.

"Main Roads workers already are facing wages well below the private sector standard, and this government offer makes the situation worse. If this government wants to take infrastructure building seriously, it should deal fairly with its workforce," he says.

Friday 22 August 2008

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