Unions concerned over policy for COVID-positive workers

New rules were this week put in place to help alleviate the supply chain crisis and staff shortage currently facing the state especially for those critical care roles.

The Transport Workers’ Union and the Australian Council of Trade Unions both issued statements on Monday (10 January) voicing their concerns over worker safety in light of the lifting of restrictions for certain industries.

The NSW government on Monday (10 January) announced critical workers in select sectors in NSW who are close contacts for COVID-19 cases are now allowed to leave self-isolation if they are not exhibiting symptoms of the disease.

The rule applies for the following sectors:

• Agriculture (biosecurity and food safety personnel undertaking critical duties)
• Manufacturing (production and manufacturing of food, beverages, groceries, cleaning and sanitary products)
• Transport, postal and warehousing (food logistics, delivery and grocery fulfilment)

Workers’ returns are dependent on employers’ determination on whether their absence will cause disruption.

The NSW government said the exemption from the isolation rules for close contacts also applies to emergency services workers who are necessary for the delivery of critical services and who cannot work from home.

The government clarified, however, that they will only be able to leave self-isolation if their absence poses a “high risk of disruption to the delivery of critical services or activities, and they are unable to work from home.”

Once out, they will be required to wear a mark and follow risk-management strategies imposed by their employers, including rapid antigen tests.

This comes as NSW reported on Monday(10 January) 20,293 new cases of COVID-19 that have been detected by the PCR test.

However, the Transport Workers’ Union has expressed its own concerns over the policy changes with TWU national secretary Michael Kaine saying that “scrapping isolation requirements for transport workers is beyond reckless”.

“Workers are being thrown to the wolves by a government that continues to ignore all the warnings,” he said in a statement.

The TWU was supported in its opposition by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) that said in a separate statement that Prime Minister Scott Morrison is “turning his back on workers.”

“The Australian Council of Trade Unions joins with the Transport Workers Union in urging Prime Minister Scott Morrison against proceeding with his reckless plan to force supply chain workers back to the front-line despite being possibly infected with the COVID virus,” said ACTU acting secretary Liam O'Brien.

“Forcing potentially infected staff back to work will only exacerbate the already rampant spread of the highly infectious Omicron strain throughout workplaces and the broader community, putting the safety of all Australians at risk.”