On Monday 7 February, the Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport advised Together that they were commencing a consultation with staff about a policy to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all staff. The Department has started a staff consultation process. While some DTIS employees are already covered by vaccine requirements, the proposed policy would require all employees to have a COVID-19 vaccination. Together will be providing feedback to the Department in the coming weeks. Together has already been conducting a ballot of union members to determine the union policy towards mandatory vaccinations in government departments since December last year. While this ballot remains open its closing date will now be brought forward so it can determine the union position on the current proposal from the employer, so it will now close at 5pm on Monday 14 February . Vote in the ballot here. Please take the opportunity to have your say in the ballot before it closes. If you have any feedback on the policy, please get in touch with your union organisers at your.union@together.org.au.
Resources members support vaccination mandate Together members employed in the Department of Resources have voted to support an employer mandate for COVID-19 vaccinations, with the majority of members who participated in the ballot supporting the mandate. Together delegates have met to consider the outcomes of the member ballot and other feedback from Together members. Together delegates and officials have provided some initial feedback to the Department and will seek to provide further feedback in the next week. Together has also raised the issue of the Resources 1 William Street policy in which the dates for compliance were changed without consultation with workers and the union. It’s Together's view that members will be bound by the policy which was consulted on and will keep members up to date. Union members are taking the lead in protecting the workplace. Ask your colleagues to join the union today. As we know, vaccinations are only part of the workplace health and safety response to COVID-19. We raised ongoing consultation on workplace health and safety including working from home and rapid antigen tests. If you have any questions or concerns about workplace conditions in Resources, please email your.union@together.org.au. We are always stronger together.
Together members employed in the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water have voted to support an employer mandate for COVID-19 vaccinations, with a clear majority of members who participated in the ballot supporting the mandate. I met with the employer on Monday 31 January to provide the union's response to the employer's draft policy. Together’s feedback included clear timelines and allowing for members to access the Novavax vaccine. As we know, vaccinations are only part of the workplace health and safety response to COVID-19. We raised ongoing consultation on workplace health and safety including working from home and rapid antigen tests. Union members are taking the lead in protecting the workplace. Ask your colleagues to join the union today.
Together members employed in the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries have voted to support an employer mandate for COVID-19 vaccinations, with over 76% of members who participated in the ballot supporting the mandate. Together delegates met on Friday 28 January to consider the outcomes of the member ballot and also the other feedback from Together members. Together delegates and officials will meet with the employer on Tuesday 1 February to provide the union's response to the employer's draft policy. The position of Together was that the proposed policy was complex in terms of who was covered and that a simpler mandate policy with greater scope for exemptions would be easier for staff to understand and for the employer to implement, while still achieving the broader policy objective of a safer workplace through a vaccinated workforce. As we know, vaccinations are only part of the workplace health and safety response to COVID-19. We raised ongoing consultation on workplace health and safety including working from home and rapid antigen tests. Union members are taking the lead in protecting the workplace. Ask your colleagues to join the union today.
Community Visitors play a critical role in protecting the rights and interest of vulnerable adults and children in our community. Your union office has written to the Public Guardian Shayna Smith on behalf of Together members who are CVs in the Office of the Public Guardian seeking for administrative application of special pandemic leave for long term casuals. Many community visitor members are very experienced long term casuals however as non-public service employees they aren’t entitled to the special pandemic leave covered in the Employment Arrangements in the Event of the Health Pandemic Directive. With the high levels of community transmission in our community, it’s more likely that community visitors and their families may get COVID-19 and lose income as a result. The Employment Arrangements in the Event of a Health Pandemic Directive allows for long term casual employees who have been engaged on a regular and systematic basis for at least a year to access 20 days special pandemic leave if the casual employee is unable to attend work because they have COVID-19, are required to care for family or household members with actual or suspected illness or are required to care for their children as a result of school/childcare closures. It’s important that workers can take the time to recover from COVID-19 and care for their sick family members without the added stress of worrying about their income. That’s why Together members are fighting hard to ensure long term casuals can access paid pandemic leave. Stay tuned for more updates and make sure you check out the rest of the Safer Together campaign site to keep updated with how union members are helping building a safer public service.
With the increasing cases of COVID-19 in our Correctional Centres in Queensland, your delegates have been advocating strongly for staff safety and important control measures to keep you safe at work. Last week, Together wrote to Commissioner Paul Stewart in regards to serious concerns under the Work Health Safety act – you can view the correspondence here! As a result of our dispute, Delegates have sought immediate implementation of the following: N95/P2 masks to be issued and used by all officers in the COVID-positive units. Currently multiple centres are only wearing blue surgical masks when in COVID-positive units. A cleaning regime and evidence that a direction has been sent to all centres to clean and sanitize COVID positive areas (where an officer has tested positive, COVID units, walk ways, after escorting a COVID positive or close contact prisoner, biometric finger scanner, gate house etc.) Isolated COVID rosters, where staff have been fit tested, not fit checked Audit of vulnerable workers, to ensure they are not rostered to work in COVID positive units/areas Direction sent to all General Managers that they are to follow central Queensland Health advice and QCS policy. This should not be overruled by a local Nurse Unit Manager or Director of Nursing. Prisoners wearing masks within the unit, not just when leaving the unit. Statewide policies which are clear and direct, which every centre follows, for example the current Operation Plan for COVID-19. We seek immediate update and dissemination in relation to health advice. Any operational changes to this plan must be in consultation with our members. Regular consultation meetings with Delegates at each centre. Delegates across the state have held meetings this week to move motions to support the above control measures and ensure that members in Correctional facilities are safe at work. Well done to all members and Delegates for their ongoing work with these matters! Your safety at work is vital and it is important that all members know their rights when working with COVID-19 positive prisoners. Members are also reporting incorrect payment of wages as a result of being COVID positive or being a close contact. Here are some Queensland Corrective Services FAQs. It is important that you read and see which scenario applies to you! If you are being denied access to appropriate leave and entitlements, contact your local delegates or call your union office on 1800 177 244.
As COVID-19 cases rise, public sector agencies are considering whether to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory as part of the workplace health and safety response. Vaccinations mandates are only one part of the response. Workers in the Office of Industrial Relations need to be heard on a range of choices and options for keeping our workplaces, families and communities safe in 2022. We know that when workers have a say, we create better outcomes for our workplaces. I provided a briefing regarding the suite of workplace health and safety strategies that Together members are seeking to make sure public sector workplaces are as safe as possible. You can watch the briefing back here. Members who attended the briefing supported running specific ballots for members to decide the union position for each agency. Every member in the Office of Industrial Relations will get the opportunity to have your voice heard and vote in the mandatory vaccination ballot. You can vote in the ballot here. The ballot will be open until 12pm 28 January to ensure that every member gets their vote. It’s important you have a say in the ballot. Your collective voice will be important when union members engage with the Office of Industrial Relations over the responses to the upcoming COVID-19 spike.
This Thursday 16th December, Together delegates met with DCHDE management to discuss the Department's plan for COVID-19 workplace health and safety in 2022, including timely and meaningful consultation on any potential vaccination requirements for employees. Delegates put forward Together's proposed consultation timeframe for employers who are not directly covered by a CHO Health Direction (see below). DCHDE representatives responded positively to this proposed timeframe. The Department also clarified that the State Archives are considered to be a library, so workers in this area are covered by a CHO vaccination mandate. Together will keep members in DCHDE updated on any developments. Join workers across the public sector in fighting for a fair and safe working life in 2022. Become a Together member today.
On Monday 13th December, Together delegates met with employer representatives from across the Department of Justice and Attorney General (DJAG) and other justice portfolio agencies to establish a framework for consultation on a COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Together union office, along with delegates from: Blue Card Services Community Justice Services Magistrates Courts Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) Public Trustee of Queensland (PTQ) Management representatives were present from: Liquor, Gaming & Fair Trading Justice Services Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) OPG Legal Aid Queensland (LAQ) Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) PTQ ECQ Each work area or agency was asked to brief attendees on the context for their agency, outlining whether the CHO's health directions applied to any of their employees, or if they would impact staff in any way, and to advise of the proposed vaccination policy they would be putting forward for consultation. Most agencies were at early stages of planning around vaccinations and other workplace health and safety responses. Meeting attendees also discussed the timeframe for consultation endorsed by Together members for agencies where a CHO vaccine mandate does not apply. Read more about Together's proposal. As consultation on the DJAG COVID-19 Vaccination Policy continues, it's vital that workers have a real voice, to ensure a fair, consistent, and well-organised implementation process. Together members will be kept up to date with any developments as they occur. Join your union today to stay informed and have your say.