Labour Court recommends Boc Gases and union keep relief driver status quo

The Labour Court recommended that Boc Gases and the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union re-engage over relief driver numbers, with assistance from the Workplace Relations Commission Advisory Service. The recommendation was signed on 16 December 2019, and the parties were asked to seek agreement by 31 May 2020. The union said cutting relief drivers from four to three breached a collective agreement and affected drivers’ ability to take annual leave and days off for family events. Boc Gases said the change had been agreed with local union representatives and drivers, and that three relief drivers provided adequate cover. The Court recommended that the status quo under the 2003 Agreement continue while the parties engaged.