Union slams ‘demeaning’ conditions for Covid-positive workers at Teys Australia’s Naracoorte meatworks

Teys Australia has been accused of imposing “demeaning” conditions on Covid-positive meatworks staff, amid concerns about infected people returning to work.

Woolworths has suspended its orders from the Teys Australia Naracoorte meatworks after at least 140 positive Covid cases were linked with the site.

It comes amid claims Teys Australia asked staff to return to work if they were positive but asymptomatic, and that employees were “degraded” by being asked to wear different-coloured hair nets to identify that they had the virus.

The ACTU said infected employees were subjected to “demeaning and degrading” circumstances including being pressured to work while positive and having to use the same bathrooms and common areas as workers who had not tested positive.

Australasian Meat Industry Employees Association acting federal secretary Matt Journeaux said his organisation was seeking “urgent clarification” about work practices at Teys’ Naracoorte meatworks.

“Woolworths has the power to pull Teys into line but they’ve failed to do so,” he said.

Mr Journeaux said Woolworths was still using other Teys abattoirs across Australia as part of a $380 million a year deal with the company.

Teys Australia Naracoorte. Picture: Arj Ganesan

SA Health said to ensure food security, it allowed “a small group of critical staff” who have tested positive, with no symptoms, to continue to work in an isolated area away from others.

These people must remain at home and isolate when they are not at work.

A Woolworths spokeswoman said it had suspended all supply through Teys’ Naracoorte meatworks while it worked with the company, SA Health and Safework SA to understand the protocols in place for Teys’ team and operations.

She said the company was not involved in SA Health’s decision to allow asymptomatic Covid-positive staff to return to work.

“We expect all of our suppliers to adhere to the Covid safety protocols set by their relevant state authorities,” she said.

Woolworths said Teys’ Naracoorte operations would not supply Woolworths until it was satisfied by the measures in place under health authorities’ guidelines.

In an online statement, Teys Australia said from Monday, no team member on site would have tested positive within the last seven days.

“No worker has been, or will be, forced to work if they are unwell,” the company said.

“In fact, we are specifically instructing our workers not to present for work if they feel unwell or they do not meet the strict requirements of the relevant State health authorities.”