Marshall trying to introduce vaccine mandate by stealth

CFMEU SA

The CFMEU SA is seeking legal advice over the Marshall Government’s attempt to use legislation mandating vaccination for healthcare workers to require construction workers on future hospital sites to also be vaccinated.

“These rules are in place to protect patients in health settings, and it is simply not appropriate to try to apply them to construction workers who just happen to be working on the sites of future hospitals and health facilities,” said Andrew Sutherland, CFMEU SA Construction Secretary.

“It is bizarre to suggest that workers on a future hospital construction site would have the same degree of contact with the public as the healthcare workers who will be working there once the facility has actually been built.”

“Obviously if there was any chance that patients would be compromised then we could understand and potentially support vaccinations for the workers in these situations, however these are construction sites that have no contact with patients or hospital staff.”

“The union is pro-vaccination, but we are also pro-choice. The Marshall Government should work with the community to inform people of the benefits of vaccination and ensure anyone who wants to get vaccinated can do so, rather than this clumsy attempt to introduce a vaccine mandate by stealth.”

/Public Release.