Urgent vaccine mandate clarification sought

THERE are calls for the Victorian Government to urgently clarify the confusion around unfair dismissal, privacy rights and employer and employee obligations ahead of the varying looming mandatory vaccine deadlines.

Leading agriculture advocacy groups including the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF), AUSVEG VIC, Fruit Growers Victoria, Food & Fibre Gippsland, GrainGrowers, Citrus Australia and Melons Australia are pushing for answer.

Whilst recent briefings between industry representatives and Agriculture Victoria have been constructive, there remains crucial missing information on the vaccine mandate.

VFF President Emma Germano said the VFF is clear on its support of measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our community, however an alarming sense of confusion within the agriculture industry ahead of the mandatory vaccine deadline is creating huge angst in the community.

“Industry representatives from across Victorian agriculture are calling for clarity, and we need it now. We’re only days away from the vaccine mandate coming into force and many of our basic questions seem to have been placed in the too hard basket,” said Ms Germano.

“The Victorian Government must publicly release further information and they need to do it immediately. We are also seeking urgent clarity on the types of exorbitant penalties and exactly who can issue them.”

Questions raised by agricultural industry representatives include:
Will employers be left in the lurch about whether their workers can work? Are employers going to be at risk under industrial relations laws?

How do we avoid breaches of worker’s privacy and who can request this personal information of vaccination status?

For further information and updates, head to www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/information-workers-required-be-vaccinated.