Airline orders staff to get vaccinated or face action

Brisbane-based Alliance Aviation has become the first Australian company to order all of its workers to have the Covid jab as a condition of employment.

Alliance Airlines' managing director Scott McMillan (L) and CEO Lee Schofield believe they can legally expect all employees to have the Covid vaccination. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

A Brisbane-based airline is believed to be Australia’s first employer to order all of its workers to undergo vaccination for Covid-19 or face potential disciplinary action.

Alliance Aviation, which has contracts with major mining companies and operates numerous flights for Qantas and Virgin Australia, has issued the vaccination policy, stating “all employees will take part in the Alliance Group Immunisation Program”.

Contractors and their employees will also be required to be vaccinated to conduct work on Alliance Group worksites, the policy states. Alliance managing director Scott McMillan said management and the company’s board of directors took the view that they had a legal obligation to provide a safe workplace for staff and customers.

“There’s a few people within the company who may not be too happy with the stand we’ve taken, but the vast majority, well north of 95 per cent, are very supportive of it,” Mr McMillan said.

“Right throughout the industry there’s a big move towards people being vaccinated. All the senior management and directors have been vaccinated and we believe the way forward is for all of us to be vaccinated.”

In the first instance, workers who refuse to be vaccinated against either the flu or Covid-19 or both, will be subject to a risk assessment process, said the policy. Those who continue to refuse without a valid medical or other legal reason will be considered “a refusal to follow a lawful direction given to the employee by their employer and appropriate disciplinary action may be taken”.

Mr McMillan said the airline had taken legal advice on the policy and he would be happy to test it in court. “I think the most important thing is most staff have embraced it. About half of our workforce of 700 have already had their first dose.”

Other airlines including Qantas and Virgin Australia have stopped short of adopting a mandatory vaccination policy for employees, rather “strongly encouraging” workers to get the jab.

Australian Federation of Air Pilots executive director Simon Lutton said they were very much in favour of vaccination and encouraged members to get vaccinated. But he said making the Covid-19 vaccine a condition of employment was potentially problematic.

“We’ve written to the company saying we’re concerned that they may’ve overstepped the mark by making it mandatory. They’ve come back to us saying they’re comfortable with their legal position and we’re essentially reviewing the situation at the moment,” d Mr Lutton said.

“The government position is they haven’t mandated vaccination and say the vast majority of employers won’t be able to make it mandatory, but then there’s this caveat where employers can on a case-by-case basis.”

The Flight Attendants Association of Australia expressed similar concerns to AFAP.

National secretary Teri O’Toole said they believed the direction for Covid vaccinations should come from government health departments.

“These mandatory decisions should not be left for employers to make,” Ms O’Toole said. “This policy has little detail on who decides on what medical conditions might allow for an exemption.”