This Monday 13th December, following discussion at Together's branch conference, and the Central Consultative Forum for public sector workers covered by the Core agreement, Branch Secretary Alex Scott wrote to the Directors-General of most government departments seeking their commitment to timely and meaningful consultation with Together members about their plans for how to respond to the pandemic in 2022.
We have seen the CHO mandate vaccinations in schools and corrections and employer mandates in Queensland Health and Queensland Police. We know that many other departments and agencies are at different stages of considering whether to introduce employer mandates for vaccinations for their staff.
Following the survey of members last week, we know that the overwhelming majority of Together members are vaccinated and the majority of Together members support vaccination mandates in their workplaces.
Our experience has been that the more measured and timely consultation processes used in Queensland Health and the Queensland Police Service have been better processes than the rushed exercises in Schools and Corrections following the CHO mandates for those areas.
That is why Together is suggesting a consistent approach across the remaining government departments in relation to the collection of data on current vaccination rates and to decisions about possible mandating of vaccinations in other parts of the public service.
Vaccinations will not prevent the spread of COVID-19. We have demanded regular and meaningful consultation on all responses to the pandemic not just on the issue of mandating vaccinations. Irrespective of the decision about mandating or otherwise, our employers need to improve the consultation and communication with members about other measures that will need to be considered in 2022 depending on how far and fast the virus spreads in Queensland.
We have also sought consistent and fair process for staff who are unable to vaccinated and your union will continue to protect the industrial rights of individual members at each stage of this process.
View Together's full proposal for a fair, safe, and well-organised approach to COVID-19 workplace health and safety in 2022.