The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has criticised the government’s handling of the vaccination rollout to aged care workers, as two thirds of the workforce remain unvaccinated against COVID-19.
ACTU President Michele O’Neil has called on the Morrison government to end the ‘blame game’ around the vaccination rollout in health and aged care, and to speed up its delivery of the life-saving vaccine.
“The Morrison Government is trying to shift the blame for their failed vaccine rollout,” O’Neil said.
“After the disastrous residential aged care Covid outbreaks last year, the Federal government should have learnt that getting aged care workers vaccinated as quickly as possible is critical”.
Federal Health Department Data shows that as of the 25th of June two thirds of aged care staff nationally remain unvaccinated.
Supply issues and the lack of an in-workplace delivery program has hampered the vaccination effort within the aged care system. Issues also stem from workers being unable to use paid time to receive their vaccinations or to recover from side-effects, which places strain on household budgets for many members of the insecure workforce.
The ACTU is recommending that two days of paid vaccination leave be provided per dose and the rollout of in-workplace vaccination programs to address the low vaccination rates in the aged care workforce.