Transport union warns of ‘virus explosions’ after national cabinet relaxes isolation rules

Coles says bare shelves are likely to persist for “some weeks”, while the transport sector has slammed a move by national cabinet that will lead to “virus explosions”.

Coles has warned that bare shelves are likely to persist for “some weeks” as the Omicron wave nears its peak.

But the transport union has predicted the supply chain crisis will “significantly worsen”, saying national cabinet’s decision to allow those carrying the infection back to work will lead to “virus explosions”.

Australia has been gripped by unprecedented shortages in recent weeks, as skyrocketing Covid-19 cases and close contact isolation requirements cripple businesses.

Woolworths and Coles have both reintroduced purchase limits on items including toilet paper, painkillers and meat as shelves are stripped bare.

State and federal leaders announced emergency changes this week to address the crisis, exempting thousands of workers from close contact isolation in critical sectors including transport, freight and logistics, allowing them to return to work after returning a negative rapid antigen test.

Transport Workers’ Union national secretary Michael Kaine on Thursday night slammed national cabinet, saying sickness would bring down supply chains already buckling under worker shortages.

“National cabinet has cut the last thread of hope the transport industry had of recovering from chronic worker shortages,” Mr Kaine said in a statement.

“Distribution centres will become virus hotbeds sending more essential workers to their sick beds, infecting their families along the way.”

Mr Kaine said the TWU was “already hearing reports of close contact transport workers forced to return to work, leaving childcare to sick partners”.

“Other close contacts were handed gloves and wipes and told to keep working until they tested positive,” he said.

“These are the workers who’ve kept us going throughout the pandemic, now given no choice but to risk their own health and that of their families.”

Coles and Woolworths have introduced purchasing limits. Picture: Lana Dadgar

He took aim at Prime Minister Scott Morrison, saying the TWU warned the PM “months ago … that supply chains would be crippled if he failed to set aside free and abundant supplies of rapid antigen tests”.

“True to character, the Prime Minister refused to act. Now, he’s sacrificing workers to save his own skin,” he said.

“For the industry to survive this wave, transport workers need free and abundant rapid antigen tests, prioritisation and leave for booster shots, and isolation of those most likely carrying the virus. Now is the time to shield the suffering industry, not detonate more virus explosions in essential workplaces,” he said.

“To lessen this significant blow, we call on all states and territories to adopt similar requirements to the Victorian Government which states all other options must be exhausted before bringing close contacts into the workplace, and that consent must be given from both worker and workplace.”

However, speaking to Seven’s Sunrise on Friday, Coles operations boss Kevin Gunn said the supermarket welcomed the changes.

“These changes that were announced at the start of this week obviously have come in very quickly and this will allow us to get more of our key team back in our distribution centres and that wider supply chain,” he said.

“So we welcome the changes coming in. They are obviously subject to very strict safety protocols but it is great to see we are going to get some of those team members back.”

Shelves in the toilet paper section are seen empty. Picture: Sarah Marshall/NCA NewsWire

Mr Gunn said Coles had been using rapid antigen tests in its distribution network since late last year.

“They have been one of the key safety protocols that has allowed us to keep flowing food through that supply chain so it is obviously an established protocol in our DCs at this point,” he said.

Despite the bare shelves, Mr Gunn insisted “stock continues to flow in the store”.

“Today you can see customers are able to do their shop, some items we haven’t got and we thank our customers for their patience and understanding and … there may be some different pack sizes or some different brands that customers need to buy into,” he said.

“But we continue to make sure we flow that product through and I think all of these changes should help improve that as we move forward.”

Asked when things would “all go back to normal”, Mr Gunn couldn’t say.

“I think we would always take our guidance of where we are up to from the Government,” he said.

“I noticed [chief medical officer] Paul Kelly yesterday did say NSW is nearing its peak and other states will follow that, so I think we’re going to be in this for some weeks, but we all look forward to moving through it.”

Speaking to reporters after national cabinet on Thursday, Mr Morrison revealed new Treasury modelling had predicted up to one in 10 workers could be absent due to Omicron at any one time during peaks.

Mr Morrison said protecting hospitals and keeping people in work was a “delicate balance”.

“The more you try to protect your hospital system, the more people you are taking out of work, which disrupts supply chains,” Mr Morrison said. “This is a constant daily process of balancing the need to keep people at work and to protect our hospitals. And that is why it changes almost daily.”