The\u00a0Canadian trucking industry has launched a political action campaign compelling Ottawa to act in stamping out\u00a0the\u00a0underground economy scheme, known as Driver Inc.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Canadian Trucking Alliance is calling on law-abiding, compliant trucking companies and drivers to\u00a0join\u00a0the\u00a0fight\u00a0against our industry\u2019s underground economy by pressing\u00a0the\u00a0federal government and other policymakers to pledge\u00a0their commitment and enforcement resources towards ending\u00a0the\u00a0Driver Inc.\u00a0scheme.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0CTA campaign aimed at Ottawa policy makers is three-fold and includes a group company letter, a driver petition and an email to MPs explaining\u00a0the\u00a0impairing effects of this growing challenge on compliant trucking companies as well as\u00a0the\u00a0overall economy.<\/p>\n
CTA is calling on carriers across Canada to sign and offer company nameplates by January 29, 2020\u00a0to this document\u00a0that urges federal agencies like CRA and\u00a0Labour Canada\u00a0help CTA eradicate\u00a0the\u00a0underground economy by focusing enforcement resources on companies and drivers engaged in Driver Inc. For a copy please click here: Call to Action-Carrier Letter Driver Inc_public<\/a><\/p>\n CTA is also asking members to engage\u00a0their drivers in\u00a0the\u00a0campaign by asking\u00a0them to sign a petition (click here :Call to Action-Driver Petition_public<\/a>)<\/b>\u00a0insisting that Ottawa addresses Driver Inc. Although much attention has been on\u00a0the\u00a0trucking companies\u2019 whose operations are built around Driver Inc. and are benefiting from\u00a0the\u00a0underground economy, many commercial truck drivers are also actively seeking out Driver Inc. carriers to work for in order to avoid paying\u00a0their fair share of taxes meant for vital government services and infrastructure like highways, health care and education. Consequently,\u00a0the\u00a0compliant truck drivers in\u00a0the\u00a0industry are unfairly bearing\u00a0the\u00a0tax obligation alone.<\/p>\n Beyond sending written submissions to Ottawa, CTA is also asking members to engage in an e-mail campaign to MPs in\u00a0the\u00a0riding where\u00a0their businesses are located.\u00a0The\u00a0campaign is designed to bring MPs up to speed on this growing problem and\u00a0the\u00a0immediate need for Ottawa to enforce\u00a0the\u00a0law. CTA has prepared e-mails for members to send to both Liberal and opposition MPs, including a link to a Government of Canada website which identifies\u00a0the\u00a0MP representing\u00a0the\u00a0riding where\u00a0their business is located. To participate in this campaign please click here: Call to Action-MP Outreach Driver Inc PackageV2_public<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n CTA is asking\u00a0the\u00a0industry to respond to\u00a0these written campaigns by\u00a0January 29, 2020<\/strong>.\u00a0The\u00a0Alliance will\u00a0then send\u00a0the\u00a0group carrier letter and driver petition to Ottawa with a clear message: Enforce\u00a0the\u00a0law already on\u00a0the\u00a0books and finally get rid of\u00a0the\u00a0illegal pay scheme that is sapping\u00a0the\u00a0trucking industry and siphoning at least\u00a0$1 billion out of public hands and into\u00a0the\u00a0underground economy.<\/p>\n \u201cTo date, CTA has been engaged in a constructive process with both CRA and Labour Canada on the legality and enforcement of Driver Inc. The legal issues are clear\u00a0and now the outstanding issue is the scale of the enforcement response from the Government of Canada,\u201d said CTA president Stephen Laskowski. \u201cWith the new cabinet in place, it\u2019s critical the compliant industry responds to this Call to Action\u00a0and send a strong message that enforcement of Driver Inc. must be a CRA and ESDC priority to meet the threat of this underground economy scam as well as safeguard public safety and the operations of compliant trucking companies and drivers across Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n