Source: Workplace Express - Subscription Service (20.03.2026)
The FWC will next week hold a further conference to hear from transport industry and supply chain participants about the powers it might have to address the dramatic fuel price spike arising from the Iran war.
Vice President Gibian said in a statement issued yesterday that he would convene the talks "to facilitate discussions in relation to steps that might be taken to address the impact of recent increases in fuel prices".
He said the TWU and ARTIO jointly sought the intervention (see Related Article) after expressing "concern that existing contractual arrangements in road transport supply chains are unlikely to include necessary provisions that respond to this urgent situation or, where they do, there is no certainty about how these obligations are extended to the whole of the supply chain including those ultimately performing the work".
The vice president's statement follows a case management conference on Wednesday (see transcript), at which "a large number of industrial organisations, business and interested persons participated".
He said some parties queried "whether there was any basis upon which the Commission could make any order or exercise any power under the FW Act to address the concerns raised (at least on an urgent basis)".
He said in light of the "uncertainty as to the nature of the exercise envisaged to be conducted by the Commission", some parties "expressed scepticism that a conference process conducted by the Commission would provide a practical process through which to discuss steps that might be taken to address the issue" (the AiG wrote to the vice president on the day of the conference articulating such doubts).
However, Vice President Gibian said that "notwithstanding the doubts expressed by some interested parties", he would "schedule at least an initial conference to facilitate discussions in relation to steps that might be taken to address the impact of recent increases in fuel prices", after most of those who appeared at the case management conference "acknowledged the seriousness of the challenges currently facing participants in the transport industry and expressed a willingness to be involved in a conference conducted by the Commission".
Vice President Gibian issued directions to accompany the statement, telling the TWU and ARTIO to submit a document to the Commission by 4pm on Monday setting out: