Volume 43, Issue 64, 29 September 2023

• Date Claimers  - Bne & NQ Christmas Catch Ups

• Mine Super and TWUSUPER achieve merger milestone with Successor Fund Transfer Deed signing

• In the News

• IR/OHS Alert - Fatigue warning issued with second tree crash conviction

• IR/OHS Alert-Medicinal-cannabis sacking upheld for disclosure failure

• IR/OHS Alert-Employers rights around medicinal cannabis examined

• BP Offer for QTA Members

• Internal Fraud and Employee Theft — the Risks to Businesses

• BP Offer for QTA Members

• Tender applications open -Transportation and Storage and Mail Services (Wide Bay/CQ)

• Digital Licence App - Preparations for statewide app release

• Truck width limits increased in Australia

• New BP Plus Customer Offer - Earn 3X Qantas Points plus 130K bonus Qantas Points

• Link to 2023 QTA RFIA Photo Gallery

• Get support with our Workforce Advisory Services -$5K grant available for small businesses (up to 20 employees)

• Safe Work Month 2023

• Book now for TMC 23
• Queensland Mental Health Week 7-15/10/23
• Road Conditions -
  • SEQ-Karalee | Warrego Highway Bremer River Bridge | Cross-over arrangement for IAP Category 3 SPV
  • SEQ-Change of Width Dimension | Karalee | Warrego Highway Bremer River Bridge | Cross-over arrangement for OSOM vehicles
  • FNQ-Closure of the Kennedy Highway near Longlands Gap Road 5/10/23
  • NSW-Changed traffic conditions Hume Hwy Marulan 16/10-3/11/23

Mine Super and TWUSUPER, two industry super funds, today announced the signing of the Successor Fund Transfer (SFT) Deed, a major milestone in their merger discussions. The SFT Deed follows the signing of a Heads of Agreement in April and which, on transfer, will create a combined fund managing nearly $20 billion on behalf of 150,000 members.

In a joint statement, Mine Super Chair, Christina Langby and TWUSUPER Chair, Nick Sherry reported that strong and major progress is being made towards merging the two funds and it is projected that strong financial benefits will result for members.

“Signing the SFT Deed is another meaningful step toward merging two culturally aligned and strong industry super funds that share a commitment to improving and protectng the retrement interests of members in the mining and transport industries”.

“Pleasingly, as our two funds have progressed the merger, we are establishing a stronger foundaton for the future. We are more convinced than ever of the benefits members will see through the joining of our two funds with shared member first values”.

Mine Super and TWUSUPER confirmed the final stage of the merger would be dedicated to ensuring a seamless transiton for members whilst maintaining the ongoing high levels of service members expect from each fund.

Read full release here

• Interstate expansion for Airtec Corporation (ATN Fully Loaded)
• VIVA Energy re-branding Coles Express (Prime Mover)
• Emerald Carrying Company-Pushing the envelope on trucks (Power Torque)
• Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck cracks 1,000km mark (Prime Mover)
• TWUSUPER merger plans acheive major milestone (Prime Mover)
• Australia Post look to fill thousands of jobs (Prime Mover)

Employers have been urged to manage rosters and workloads in ways that reduce the risk of fatigue, after a second organisation was convicted over the car-crash death of a worker who had worked for 17 hours straight.

YJ Auto Repairs Pty Ltd was fined $115,000 in the Victorian County Court today, after pleading guilty to breaching subsections 21(2)(a) and (e) of the State Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 in failing to provide and maintain safe systems of work or adequate information, instructions or training.

The Court heard YJ was subcontracted by the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) to operate a roadside assistance service, and it was routine for YJ's two roadside assistance drivers to perform 96-hour on-call shifts over four days and nights.

View full article

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Employers must manage work schedules, rostering, and workloads to ensure workers have adequate rest and
• Make sure training and support on fatigue management is provided to drivers as well as all staff involved in managing drivers.
• Maintain records of all training undertaken with staff.
• When drafting rosters ensure there are realistic workloads, reduce the need to perform overtime, nsure the number of workers and resources is adequate.
• Implement fatigue management policies,
• Provide workers with adequate recovery time between shifts
• Encourage staff to speak up if they feel fatigued.

WHS Questions - contact our Safety and Risk Service - Darren Sharry, safety@qta.com.au or 0493 227 781

Employment Questions - Contact Jim Challis, jim@qta.com.au or 0408 4141 231

A commission has upheld the dismissal of a worker for taking medicinal cannabis on his days off, finding his conduct was compounded by his failure to update his employer on his changing medicinal regime.

In Brisbane, Fair Work Commission Deputy President Nicholas Lake found the safety critical worker failed to comply with his medical management plan put in place by his employer, and his conduct in taking actions not cleared by a medical professional carried safety risks.

In October 2021, the Platinum Blasting Services Pty Ltd mobile processing unit operator, whose role involved handling explosives at BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) mines, disclosed to BMA that he was taking medicinal cannabis for anxiety and insomnia.

View full article

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Continue to manage your employees as per your compan drug and alcohol policies, irrespective of whether the employee has provided a non-negative test because of being prescribed medicinal cannabis by their treating doctor.

WHS Questions - Contact our Safety and Risk Service - Darren Sharry, safety@qta.com.au or 0493 227 781

Employment Questions - Contact Jim Challis, jim@qta.com.au or 0408 4141 231

Workers taking prescription medicinal cannabis for medical conditions are protected by anti-discrimination laws, but critical health and safety matters can sideline those protections, industrial and employment lawyers say.

Slater and Gordon Lawyers associate April Zahra told a Victorian Trades Hall Council "OHS Liveshow" on the implications of medicinal cannabis this week that workers are likely meet the protected-attributes standard if they have a "disability" for which they are required to take medicinal cannabis.

It is unlawful for employers to treat these workers unfavourably on this basis, including by dismissing or suspending them from work or subjecting them to discriminatory comments, or by indirectly imposing requirements or conditions that disadvantage them in the workplace, she said.

However, the Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 2010 and similar laws provide an exemption that allows a person to discriminate against another person "on the basis of their disability if that discrimination is reasonably necessary to protect the health or safety of any person", Zahra said.

View full article

Employee theft and fraud cost Australian businesses substantial losses every year1 so protecting against this business risk and understanding insurance protection can provide major savings. Since losses from employee crimes of opportunism and abuse of trust can run to millions of dollars it's important that businesses understand the risks and have appropriate insurance protection.

Specific industries record high employee theft rates and offenders are commonly found to hold certain types of roles and to use particular methods to deploy fraudulent activity.

Common methods used by employees to steal from employers

The most prevalent ways in which frauds are perpetrated involve false invoicing and electronic funds transfer fraud. The methodologies used include:

• EFT to own benefit/account
• false invoicing
• multiple frauds used
• trust fraud
• fraudulent loans
• cheque fraud
• stealing from customers' bank accounts
• leasing/finance fraud
• cash theft
• false accounting.

These examples serve as red flags for businesses when considering risk management of internal exposures to theft. In some of these cases the offenders were able to circumvent existing controls (such as signed off approvals or scrutiny of new creditors' credentials) by being opportunistic about gaps in internal security.

Read full article here

Issued by Gladstone Ports Corporation Limited

Invitation to Offer

• Mega Category: General goods and services
• Number:OS21305360KR
• Released:Thu, 28 Sep 2023 at 12:00AM Brisbane, Queensland
• Closing:Thu, 26 Oct 2023 at 2:00PM Brisbane, Queensland
• UNSPSC: Transportation and Storage and Mail Services - (100%)
• Region/s:
  • Rockhampton
  • Gladstone
  • Wide Bay Burnett

View full tender information here

The project undertook further customer testing of the Digital Licence app in preparation for the statewide release. Ongoing feedback from the expanded pilot has lent itself to continued refinement within the app itself. Customer testing is the first step in preparing for the statewide release of the app and will ensure the new features and functionality upgrades resulting from the expanded Townsville trial work for everyday Queenslanders.

Find out more about the digital licence online, or reach out to the Digital Licence Team via email at digitallicence@tmr.qld.gov.au. 

Major changes to the national road vehicle standards have been made that will see an increase to the overall width limit on Australian trucks.

The move anticipated for some time in parts of the industry was today announced by the Federal Government as part of what it has called a Safer Freight Vehicles package.

It is likely to have wide ranging ramifications for the industry across manufacturing, safety, productivity and new vehicle technology.

An increase of the overall width from 2.50 to 2.55 metres for new trucks, provided they are fitted with a number of safety features, is also expected to encourage the rollout of electric and hydrogen trucks from overseas.

Read full article

Looking for ways to give your business a boost?

Now is a great time to fuel your business with a BP Plus Fuel card.

Sign up for a BP Plus fuel card and as a Qantas Business Rewards member you’ll earn 20,000 bonus Qantas Points, plus triple Qantas Points for 6 months. 

Want more? Fill up with 10,000 litres or more within 6 months and receive 130,000 bonus Qantas Points.*

Make doing business more rewarding with BP Plus and Qantas Business Rewards.

Visit bpplus.com.au for more. It really is, business, the clever way.

*T&Cs apply Use code QTA

For all guests and interested members, please find following the url link to access the Photo Gallery from the 2023 QTA Road Freight Industry Awards. Photos can be purchased from the site in digital or printed form.

https://yourphotographer.com.au/galleries/event-galleries/2023_qld_trucking_awards/

Accessing our Workforce Advisory Services is an excellent way to get support to develop a workforce plan to to manage growth in your business, professionalise employment processes and establish ways to attract new staff and get your current staff to stay. 

A great example of this is the HR Support Grant available now to small businesses, this grant helps small business to put their workforce action plan into, well… action! A business can engage an HR professional of their choice to provide $5,000 worth of support.  This can be used for things like:

• HR health check to update policies & procedures.
• Help make new recruitment strategies.
• Retention plans to make sure you keep key staff.
• Role descriptions and other HR documents / templates.
• Mentoring and training

The Industry Workforce Advisor program is a free service open to all Queensland businesses, and I really enjoy working with employers to get them the support they need, particularly in today’s job market.

To book a call back complete the Expression of Interest Form or Angela can be contacted directly on 0401 712 516 or angela@qta.com.au for more information.

Sign up now

*To earn triple Qantas Points for the first 6 months on all unleaded and diesel fuel grades excluding Autogas and AdBlue (Eligible Fuel)), plus purchase 10,000 litres of Eligible Fuel in the first 6 months to receive an additional 130,000 bonus Qantas Points the association member must apply for a BP Plus account between 12.01am (AEDT) 1 March 2023 and 11.59pm (AEDT) 30 November 2023, be approved for a BP Plus account during that period & become a Qantas Business Rewards member (if not already a member) within 30 days of being approved for a BP Plus account. The association member must not have held a BP Plus account within the 24 months prior to the start of the Offer Period, be a govt-entity or similar public-sector association, be a BP-supplied distributor of automotive fuels, nor be subject to a strategic pricing arrangement with BP. The ‘first 6 months” is measured from the BP Plus account open date until the last day of the sixth (6th) calendar month after the account open date. You’re the association member must not have any overdue amounts on its BP Plus account. Qantas Points will be awarded within 6 weeks of on-time BP Plus account payment of amounts owing monthly. 

BP Plus, BP Plus – Qantas Business Rewards Offer and Qantas Business Rewards Terms & Conditions apply. See full offer Terms & Conditions including privacy information. Promoter: BP Australia Pty Ltd (ABN 53 004 085 616).

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Queensland's road freight voice since 1907. Trusted to Deliver. Driven by Service.

www.qta.com.au | 0733944388