SPC defends mandatory Covid-19 jab push

SPC has accused unions of trying to create ‘fear and confusion’ among its workers and the community about its controversial proposal.

Workers at the SPC Ardmona cannery in Shepparton.

Fruit and vegetable processor SPC has accused unions of trying to create “fear and confusion” among its workers and the community about its controversial proposal to mandate Covid-19 vaccinations for its staff.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union said on Wednesday that SPC had provided no clear answers to a list of 32 questions that union officials had put to the company about its “demand” that workers be vaccinated by the end of October.

Following a series of meetings with SPC workers, the assistant Victorian secretary of the AMWU’s food and confectionery division, Jason Hefford, said SPC had not properly explained how its timeline could be met given the supply and accessibility issues with the covid vaccine.

He said it should be up to public health officials to make a call on whether compulsory vaccination of workers was needed at certain workplaces, not employers and employer groups.

SPC chief executive Robert Giles rejected the union criticism about a lack of consultation, saying it would consult on the best way to implement the decision “not in the formation of our business’s decision”.

He said the AMWU’s comments were “designed to create fear and confusion among our employees and the broader community – the people they purport to represent”.

“We firmly reject the AMWU’s assertion that they were not properly consulted in our vaccine mandate,” Mr Giles said.

“This mandate is a business decision to ensure the safety of our staff as well as the broader community. It is the responsibility of the directors of the business, who are also liable, to provide a safe working environment, not the union.

“We have consulted, and will always consult, with our local union officials in line with our enterprise agreement regarding the best way to implement our decision, not in the formation of our business’s decision. We will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of our people as we have throughout the pandemic.”

Questions put by the AMWU to the company include how was SPC guaranteeing supply of the vaccine and what vaccine was SPC intending for workers to access; what happens when a worker refused to be vaccinated, including on religious and medical grounds; would workers get time off if they suffered side effects, and if a worker became seriously ill or died what compensation was the company going to pay to their families.

Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus said this week that employers should not have the right to mandate medical procedures without public health orders.

“Forget about this pandemic, if all of a sudden any employer could insist that employees have vaccination and medical procedures – that type of thing – that is a slippery slope,” she told the ABC.

Mr Giles said the comments were unfounded, saying a number of Australian businesses had required their employees to be vaccinated with the flu shot and for them to provide evidence of it as a condition of their employment.

“This is nothing new and must be viewed in the context of the Delta strain of COVID-19 which poses a new and unique threat to the safety of our staff,” he said.

“Staff members who have genuine medical grounds that preclude them from being vaccinated against COVID-19 will be treated with the utmost compassion. It is in fact for this small number of individuals that it is so critical that the rest of the workforce be vaccinated.

“Will the union guarantee our staff’s safety if an unvaccinated staff member, contractor or visitor infects our SPC family?”

AMWU national secretary Steve Murphy said SPC had refused to remove its demand for compulsory vaccination, despite the Morrison Government saying it would not be making vaccination mandatory.

“Getting vaccinated is the goal, our union backs this. The company’s approach does not help build workers trust and confidence,” he said.

“This is a public health matter, not an industrial one – it should not be left to bosses.”

Mr Giles said SPC had met its obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act, and would continue to align its practices with the Human Rights Act and federal and state discrimination laws.

“The reception from the vast majority of our staff has been positive and we remain committed to working with both the union and our staff throughout this process,” he said.

“We are regularly speaking with our staff, offering them assistance as required and encouraging them to discuss their individual circumstances with their GP when making a decision regarding which vaccine is right for them.”