Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA), the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) and the Australian Logistics Council (ALC), implore State and Commonwealth Governments to recognise the criticality of freight and supply chain workers, providing them immediate access to the vaccine.
This comes after writing collectively to the Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack and Federal Minister for Health, Greg Hunt outlining the sense of urgency required to protect workers that provide Australian communities with essential goods and services - refer HERE
As an industry, supply chain workers collectively represent more than 600,000 across freight, logistics, warehousing, international trade logistics service providers, importers and exporters.
Most of the sector's workers have to undergo mandated COVID tests every 7 days as they are required to travel between state borders delivering essential items to communities.
The need for their inclusion at the earliest possible time is based on the following reasons:- These essential workers in many cases cannot work from home and are critical to keep the country's freight moving and the economy buoyant.
- Supply chain from quayside and airports providing goods to importers and exporters was recognised to be crucial to supplying Australian communities.
- Border staff already are included in the vaccination rollout, however supply chain workers are not, despite working alongside each other and at the same exposure sites.
ALC Interim CEO Rachel Smith says "It is imperative high-risk supply chain workers are immediately included in the vaccination rollout, particularly as we see more frequent snap lock downs.
These workers are tested with high frequency due to the nature of their work, which makes these essential workers an obvious early inclusion in the vaccine rollout as they are most at risk."
Paul Zalai, Director of the FTA and Secretariat of the ASPA echoes the call saying "The supply chain is critical in providing essential services and goods, especially highlighted by COVID. We must protect vulnerabilities in the supply chain to ensure our communities' needs continue to be met with minimal risk to essential workers."
FTA, APSA and the ALC will continue its collective advocacy and media profile on this important matter and will keep members up to date on developments. |
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