If I find fault with trade unions and here I do it is in the failure to inform both its members and the world about the vast number of unions that actively work for the boss and actively against the workers.
Just this day I found this highlighted by a firm working under an agreement drawn up by a NSW builders group who actively do so on behalf of members and in fact for a fee anyone who will pay.
This grubby document refers to 8 tonne truck drivers mostly working on NSW Government work sites.
Casual rates are $18.65 per hour ALL HOURS WORKED NO PENALTY RATES.
HOURS WORKED DO NOT INCLUDE TRAVEL TO AND FROM WORK taking the truck to work is travel time!
The agreement is for a FIVE YEAR TERM!
NO WAGE INCREASES IN THAT TIME! NONE!
no overtime but many ten or twelve hour days!
The trade union movement seems to think you know this, has some information on some union web pages but is blissfully unaware most workers do not visit such pages.
Once you do they mostly are not printer friendly and only those who visit know the full picture.
Bosses have unions that enforce poverty on some workers and in the case the NSW governments public service by bean counting assist them in taking work from the honest boss who has some understanding workers need to eat.
The NSW RTA is tragic in its blindness.

belly,
"HOURS WORKED DO NOT INCLUDE TRAVEL TO AND FROM WORK taking the truck to work is travel time!"

Does this mean they take the truck home from work?

I'm not sure I could equate earning $200/day with poverty, union reps must have it pretty good.

Rojo do have any understanding of the reality's of working for a living?
The trucks can not be parked on the side of the road with safety.
A union rep works as part of a crew of workers not as I am an official.
The casual traffic controllers holding a stop go bat at each end of the job these truck work on get $20.20 per hour.
The lowest paid RTA worker gets more and 4 weeks annual leave, mostly because of long term employment long service leave.
Sick days and public holidays are paid also to the RTA workers including their 8 tonne truck driver who gets a basic $3 an hour more than the victims of the bosses union.
Are you aware most truck drivers in full time work get more than this rate?
And get annual leave and all the benefits?, now for your maths, if they got 10 hours it is not 200 a day, if paid the AWARD conditions over time?
11 hours pay.
But they get ten then without pay drive the truck home.
However thanks for your post it highlights the fact some are more about creating wealth for some ignoring the poverty it makes others live in.

I hope just a few who read this thread get an understanding of why I want bosses unions highlighted.
Most seem to have a pattern bargaining system in place, against the law for a trade union.
One sat down last week with his client a labour hire supplier, he was in his mid 20,s and was talking about long term casual workers who do not always get a full weeks work.
They do however work long hours often 12 or just a bit more.
And they had an agreement that had just run out.
The employers sat without talking while his employer group negotiator informed the union he was here to play hard ball.
A 5 year agreement without wages rises was his only wages offer.
Stay on the same rates but reduced travel and meal allowances.
And zero overtime paid UNTIL 38 hours had been worked ,even if it was 3 12 hours shifts plus 2 hours.
No wage rise for 5 years!
Look back on rent, housing payments, fuel, other travel costs, interest rates and food prices from that long ago.
Could you plan a budget without a wage rise for 5 years?
If this federal government had the guts to issue us with the true facts on AWAs in force for that term good people would tremble.
Some bosses unions are dreadful.

Belly, I took the liberty of averaging your 10-12 hrs to come up with the $200. ie 11x18.65=205.15 and rounded for ease. Hope this clears up my mathematical abilities for you.

My apologies,
I'm not sure I could equate earning $200/day with poverty, union OFFICIALS must have it pretty good.

"do have any understanding of the reality's of working for a living?"

Sadly yes. Due to drought my 60hr weeks on the farm will still result in financial loss this year, and no guarantees for next season either although todays rain is most welcome. So $18.65 looks pretty good.

If traffic controllers get $20+ why be a truck driver? Or is it because we can't always be what we'd like.

Belly I think that the RTA could be taken up legally by their own HR licence regulation if they push the hours outside of the law. It they are taken to task, this is supposed to be a serious offence and possibly taken up by ICAC.

My understanding that legally to drive a heavy vehicle, you have an obligation to rest overy 4 hours otherwise it is considered a danger to the public. I also understand from the heavy vehicle licence that it is illegal to do more than an 8 hour shift, without a considerable break within 24 hours.

This all goes in the log book.

Overtime is in breach of a heavy vehicle licence.

If what you say is correct, why do we bother having RTA licences if the RTA is in breach of their own legal regulations?

Now it has been a few years since I drove a truck, correct me if I am wrong about the hours.