ON Tuesday, March 15 the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal heard AIG and other peak bodies’ applications to delay the commencement date of the Payments Order, which applies to independent contractor drivers across Australia.
Ministers Michaelia Cash and Darren Chester intervened in the proceeding in support of the application, informing the Tribunal that the commencement date should be delayed to allow owner drivers to understand the order and modify their business practices to ensure they can comply with it.
Given the significance of the structural reforms, a reasonable period of time should be allowed for this.
The Tribunal, after hearing the various parties including the Commonwealth, made the following orders:
1. The Tribunal has published a draft amended order, which adopts a new commencement date of 1 January 2017 and the transitional provisions proposed by AIG
2. Interested parties have until midday on Monday, 21 March 2016 to comment on the draft amended order
3. Interested parties can comment on each other’s submissions until 24 March 2016
4. The matter will come back before the Tribunal on 24 March, and at that time the Tribunal will decide whether if it will conduct a further hearing to hear from interested parties in person, from 26-28 March (over the Easter long weekend).
However, despite this development, the Tribunal has not yet altered the commencement date of 4 April.
Interested parties should be encouraged to comment on the new commencement date. They must not assume that because they have already made submissions, that these will be considered by the Tribunal – new submissions specifically in support of the draft amended order published today must be lodged by 21 March if they are to be considered by the Tribunal.
To make a submission, email inquiries@rsrt.gov.au
