Victorian transport members are calling on the state government to remove vaccination requirements
The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) is leading the charge with transport companies and politicians calling for the state government to lift mandatory vaccination requirements for workers in the industry.
As of this week, only Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory are continuing to require truck drivers to be vaccinated, with Queensland and South Australia recently lifting their requirements.
Last week Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he wanted all COVID-19 restrictions, including the vaccine mandate, to end on July 12.
The VTA is joining health experts, transport operators and Victorian politicians in calling for the Victorian government to join Queensland and SA.
“Victoria is now one of only three jurisdictions to retain vaccine mandates for workers and with transport being a national industry we need consistency in the rules between the states and territories,” VTA CEO Peter Anderson says.
“Since mandates were introduced last year we estimate around 10 per cent of drivers have left the transport industry, which is significant for an industry already facing shortages and challenges attracting new drivers.”
According to Anderson, mandates should be lifted to make the recruiting of new drivers easier, as supply chain disruptions have resulted in labour pressures that operators shouldn’t have to continue experiencing.
The VTA also says the transport industry worked harder than ever during the pandemic to keep the supply chain moving and deserves a responsible easing of the rules.
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“From having to get swabbed up to 10 times a month, isolating from family and friends in order to continue working and observing strict hygiene practices, the transport industry hasn’t skipped a beat keeping Australia moving,” Anderson says.
“As we start to move into the next phase of COVID and with vaccination rates as high as they are, we need a consistent set of rules to start to get our supply chains back to normal.”
Almost 95 per cent of Victorian citizens over the age of 12 are now double-vaccinated.
Victorian shadow minister for ports and freight Roma Britnell has also joined the calls for the state government to remove the vaccination requirement.
“The freight and transport industry needs certainty to ensure it can continue to deliver the essential goods we need,” she says.
“We need to get truck drivers back on the road to shore up our supply chain, and the government needs to listen and at on this vitally important issue.”