Almost one in two aviation workers still not be vaccinated
Just one third of aviation workers have had two vaccine shots and only 22 per cent have had one shot
Almost one in two aviation workers is not vaccinated, according to a survey of nearly 800 cabin crew, pilots, cleaners, baggage handlers and ground workers, sparking warnings the community is being put at risk because of the low number of vaccinated airport employees.
One-third of aviation workers have had two vaccine shots and 22 per cent have had one shot, with the Transport Workers Union saying poor vaccination rates at “one of our most at-risk locations should ring alarm bells that there is a gaping hole in our fight to reduce the risk of Covid spread”.
More than 70 per cent of cabin crew said they did not feel safe flying into hotspot locations, citing the risk of getting Covid-19 and the fear of passing it to family members and the wider community.
Fifty-four per cent of cleaners and ground crew said they did not feel safe servicing aircraft from hotpots. Cabin crew and pilots overwhelmingly supported rapid pre-flight tests of crew and passengers to help reduce risks.
Many aviation workers said they had not been vaccinated because of a lack of vaccine timeslot availability and because it was difficult organising their vaccination ahead of roster changes with the potential of losing work.
Seventy per cent of those vaccinated organised the shot themselves, with the other 30 per cent assisted by their employer.
The TWU and Virgin Independent Pilots Association, which surveyed 789 employees working for aviation companies and airlines including Qantas and Virgin, said recent outbreaks in Sydney and across Australia had been linked to flight crew and passengers.
TWU national secretary Michael Kaine said Scott Morrison had not responded to two written requests from the union for aviation workers to be added to vaccine priority lists and for rapid pre-flight testing to be introduced at airports.
Qantas wrote to the Morrison government in April requesting domestic crews be given priority for vaccination. A Qantas spokesman said on Tuesday the airline was in “ongoing discussions with governments”.
“We’d like to see all aviation workers across the country be vaccinated and we’ve been strongly encouraging our employees to get vaccinated as soon as they can,” he said. “NSW has made vaccines mandatory for workers with anything to do with international flights and other states are likely to follow.”
Asked for comment on the union survey findings, a Virgin Australia spokesman referred to its own survey in June that found 65 per cent of “frontline team members” - cabin crew, pilots and airport workers - had been vaccinated or were registered to be vaccinated.
Mr Kaine said it had been “left entirely up to workers to get themselves vaccinated, with many reporting difficulty in setting up appointments”. “Workers are also concerned about setting a date for vaccination and then work becoming available, forcing them to forgo pay,” he said.
“This is the economic reality for aviation workers: after a year of being stood down on little money with mounting bills, it is difficult to take time out for vaccination and its possible side effects.
“We called on the federal government to put in place a national plan on aviation when the crisis hit, which would have looked at vaccination for aviation workers.
“This national plan never happened and today we are paying the price.”
VIPA president John Lyons said the Morrison government needed to “fix the mess it has created for aviation workers”.
“We simply do not have nearly enough workers at our airports vaccinated, and this means our entire community is at risk,” he said. “Pilots and other workers are worried about their jobs, with many still stood down from their roles. They want to get back up and flying but with the botched vaccine rollout and failure to prioritise aviation workers, lockdowns continue and the risk remains high.”
He said workers wanted more information, time off work to get vaccinated so it would not conflict with roster changes, and assurances that they would be paid their usual wage if they were to become ill or were forced to self-isolate.
One cabin crew respondent said: “I travelled two hours each way to get my shots - total four hours additional driving on top of a 10-hour work day and waking up that morning at 2.30am.
“After getting the vaccine, I got home at 11pm that day. Unbelievably exhausting.”
Another cabin crew worker said: “Most cabin crew I have spoken to who weren’t vaccinated say it is because it was too far from home to travel.
“Also I had to try and time my shots and bid for days off, which was very stressful and annoying that I had to use my bids to get the day off and not guaranteed.
“The company should assist cabin crew with organised time off to get the shot.”
Another called for “vaccine clinics at airports for border and transport workers” and for rostering protocols to be amended “to allow one to book in for a vaccine and not have to cancel the appointment due to a duty change.”
A pilot called for “time off for vaccine appointment that is booked blindly without a roster … frontline crew would have to cancel from a rostered trip to attend a vaccination appointment made weeks ago.”
A ground crew worker said: “I’m a casual and only get a roster a few days in advance.
“It’s impossible to book a time to be vaccinated without risking losing a day’s pay.”
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