{"id":592772,"date":"2026-04-08T05:33:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T05:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/592772\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T05:33:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T05:33:10","slug":"fuel-crisis-hearing-told-truck-drivers-on-brink-of-going-out-of-business-without-immediate-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/592772\/","title":{"rendered":"Fuel crisis hearing told truck drivers on brink of ‘going out of business’ without immediate help"},"content":{"rendered":"

Truck drivers and business operators say they have reached “crisis point” and are calling for major retailers and other clients to bear more of the cost of ongoing fuel price pressures.<\/p>\n

An emergency hearing has begun at the Fair Work Commission in Sydney, with the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) and employer groups presenting a united front, saying drivers, employees and trucking businesses are on the brink of collapse.<\/p>\n

They have called for transport clients \u2014 which include large retailers, manufacturers and mining companies \u2014 to share the burden of rising energy prices.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Iran war live updates<\/a>:\u00a0For the latest news on the Middle East crisis, read our blog<\/p>\n

It follows similar calls from other industries for the cost crunch to be shared, highlighting how the ongoing Middle East war could affect Australians’ hip pockets by driving prices up.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Over the weekend, farmers and growers urged the major supermarkets to pay more for fresh produce<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The union representing truck drivers and owner-operators, alongside the peak transport employer body, called for extra costs to be paid by clients and passed down the whole supply chain, which forms a crucial part of providing goods and services for Australians.<\/p>\n

TWU national secretary Michael Kaine was joined by Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation (ARTIO) national secretary Peter Anderson and National Road Freighters Association (NRFA) president Glyn Castanelli at today’s hearing, along with transport operators and gig workers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Australian Industry Group, Australia’s peak national employer association, as well as Wesfarmers, the conglomerate that owns Bunnings and Kmart, have both opposed the draft order that allows the Fair Work Commission to act if it sees fit.<\/p>\n

They say they have not seen all the evidence and have asked to adjourn the hearing for a few weeks so they can consult stakeholders.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Long-haul truck drivers are “weeks away from going out of business”, the\u00a0Transport Workers Union says. (Unsplash<\/a>:\u00a0Caleb Ruiter<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The hearing comes after federal parliament passed the government’s Fairer Fuel Bill, to fast-track emergency applications to the Fair Work Commission in road transport.<\/p>\n

Australia’s fuel shipments secured ‘well into’ May<\/a><\/p>\n

Fuel shipments to Australia have been secured “well into” May, the energy minister says, as the number of service stations with diesel and petrol shortages fell over the Easter weekend.<\/p>\n

“The problem we’ve got in road transport is that unless we grab this crisis by the scruff of the neck and deal with it, then road transport is going to come to a grinding halt,” Mr Kaine said ahead of the hearing.<\/p>\n

“Owner-drivers, small business owners and gig workers are weeks away from going out of business.<\/p>\n

“That is unsustainable, and it’s even more unsustainable in circumstances where there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. “<\/p>\n

Mr Kaine called on the Fair Work Commission to reduce the burden of higher fuel prices on drivers.<\/p>\n

“We are all here to say to the Fair Work Commission, you’ve got powers to act to ensure that road transport businesses are paid for the cost of this unprecedented fuel spike,” he said.<\/p>\n

“Road transport is the backbone of the Australian economy and we must attend to this present existential crisis that faces it.”‘The whole industry will fall over’<\/p>\n

Zak O’Brien, a union delegate and owner-driver servicing shopping centres and hospitals, said fuel costs had doubled for him and the 200 operators he represented.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Truck owner and driver Zak O’Brien says “mum and dad” operators are the ones suffering most in the fuel crisis. (ABC News: Adelaide Miller)<\/p>\n

“Guys can’t afford to go to work. Guys can’t afford to take a day off work,” he said.<\/p>\n

“We’re ‘mum and dad’ operators. If this doesn’t happen for us \u2026 the whole industry will fall over.”<\/p>\n

Peter Anderson, ARTIO national secretary, called for weekly fuel reviews to keep national supply chains running sustainably and businesses in operation.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The global oil crisis has cast a cloud of uncertainty over Australia’s supply chains. (AAP: Dean Lewins)<\/p>\n

“Some transport clients are doing the right thing to pass down fair fuel relief, but there are far too many still refusing to pay their fair share,” he said.<\/p>\n

“It needs to happen straightaway. Not next week, not next month.”<\/p>\n

The Fairer Fuel Bill, passed in federal parliament on March 30, permits the Fair Work Commission to make orders to deal with rising fuel prices, without a six-month waiting period. \u00a0<\/p>\n

“Truckies and transport operators need urgent help dealing with fuel price rises caused by the war in the Middle East, and that’s what Labor has done with the passing of the Fairer Fuel Bill,” Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth said.<\/p>\n

“With global uncertainty leading to significant impacts on our transport industry, our government \u2026 amended legislation to support the truckies and transport operators who keep Australia’s economy moving.”<\/p>\n

The hearing at the Fair Work Commission is expected to last for at least one more day after today’s opening session.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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