Qantas makes jabs mandatory for workers

After announcing a mandatory Covid-19 vaccination rule for Qantas staff, CEO Alan Joyce suggests employees who refuse to get the jab are in the wrong industry. Have your say.

Qantas has announced it will make Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory for all staff.

Staff surveys reveal 89 per cent of Qantas staff have already had at least one dose of the vaccination, or are planning to – but 4 per cent said they were unwilling or unable to get the jab.

In a letter sent to staff on Wednesday morning, the company advised the mandatory vaccination rule will apply to all Qantas, Jetstar and QantasLink staff, both operational and administrative.

Operational staff have until November 15 to comply, while administrative staff have been given a deadline of March 31, 2022.

Exemptions will be offered on documented medical grounds – but this is expected to be “very rare,” according to a company statement.

Employees who refuse to get vaccinated for non-medical reasons were “deciding aviation isn’t for them,” Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said.

He stressed there would be “limited redeployment opportunities” for such workers.

Asked whether the company had advised the federal government prior to its announcement today, Mr Joyce revealed Qantas had asked the government to make vaccination mandatory across the entire aviation sector.

The move infuriated anti-vax groups, who called for a boycott of the national carrier. But others said they supported the policy, and it would make them more likely to fly Qantas in future.

The Transport Workers Union branded the move a “PR stunt” that would “heap unnecessary stress onto workers”.

TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said Qantas “has jumped the gun yet again ahead of the Attorney-General’s roundtable today of ACTU and employer associations on vaccination take up. This snap announcement is completely void of a plan to support workers to get vaccinated by November. Workers have spoken out about the difficulties they’ve faced accessing the vaccine, but Qantas has refused to listen.

Many workers were having difficulty organising vaccination ahead of roster changes, with the potential of losing work, the TWU said.

Qantas staff at Brisbane airport. Picture: Liam Kidston

Qantas’s move follows a number of other international airlines who have made vaccination compulsory, including Cathay, United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. Virgin Australia is considering a similar policy.

“We are conducting our own risk assessments and consulting work groups and union representatives to determine the best way to ensure our entire workforce is protected from Covid-19,” a Virgin Australia spokesperson said.

Aviation workers supporting international flights in New South Wales, South Australia and

New Zealand are already required to be vaccinated.

A spokesperson for the Australian Airports Association said there had been no discussions about making Covid-19 vaccination mandatory across the entire sector, largely because of vaccine supply issues.

Mr Joyce said today’s announcement would safeguard employees and customers.

“One crew member can fly into multiple cities and come into contact with thousands of people in a single day. Making sure they are vaccinated given the potential of this virus to spread is so important and I think it’s the kind of safety leadership people would expect from us,” he said.

“We provide an essential service, so this will help guard against the disruptions that can be caused by just one positive Covid-case shutting down a freight facility or airport terminal.”

In the survey of staff, which was completed by 12,000 workers, around three quarters said they thought vaccinations should be mandatory for all staff.

The flying kangaroo will be fully vaccinated under a new plan announced by Qantas today. Picture: Mark Stewart

A customer survey of 1000 people found even greater support for the idea, with 92 per cent saying they expected Qantas crew to be fully vaccinated.

Besides the 4 per cent of surveyed staff who said they were unable or unwilling to get the jab, a further 7 per cent said they were undecided or preferred not to say.

“We understand there will be a very small number of people who decide not to get the vaccine, and that’s their right, but it’s our responsibility to provide the safest possible environment for our employees and for our customers,” Mr Joyce said.

The staff surveys showed 77 per cent of respondents were fully vaccinated and 60 per cent had had one dose – but as the were conducted several weeks ago, the percentages now are likely to be even higher.

Asked about the policy, and whether other companies would follow suit, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Qantas had gone about the decision in “a very engaged way”.

“They’ve shown I think the right model about how you go about this,” he said.

“There are certain circumstances where this [mandatory vaccinations] may be necessary and companies will move in those areas, but I … have great faith in Australians that they know what they need to do. And they are doing it,” Mr Morrison said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaking at a press conference on Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

It is expected booster shots will also be expected of all staff in 2022, but the timing and frequency of these are yet to be determined.

The company has repeatedly said vaccinations will be mandatory for customers when international flying resumes, and recently announced it would be using the International Air Travel Association Travel Pass app, which would allow passengers to store and display vaccination certificates and test results on their phone.

Mr Joyce said no decisions had yet been made about mandating vaccinations for customers on domestic flights, but discussions were ongoing.

Originally published as Qantas makes jabs mandatory for workers