Josh Frydenberg has declared strike action over rapid antigen testing would do little to change the government’s plans, in an emphatic slapdown of union demands.
Unions have threatened strike action over the failure to provide free RATs and N95 masks to workers, accusing the Prime Minister of a “let it rip” attitude towards Covid-19.
But the Treasurer claims the union’s demands have “no place” as Australia suffers worker and supply chain shortages.
“Such drastic action and intimidation and threats has no place in the middle of the pandemic,” he told Sky News.
“It would be exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time for the economy and for people’s jobs.
“It’d be putting union workers last, not first, and it would be damaging people’s job prospects and ultimately, it wouldn’t be achieving anything on the health front.”
With many states changing their testing rules to scale back PCR tests, the at-home tests have become increasingly elusive RAT tests as case numbers continue to soar.
Some 70 million tests purchased by the federal government are set to hit Australian shores within the next month.
However, the Australian Council of Trade Unions have said the government needs to do more to protect the workforce.
Secretary Sally McManus said the unions would not hesitate to take “whatever action is necessary”.
“We just need to get rapid antigen tests out to the workforce,” she told Nine.
“No one wants to see people not go to work. But people have a rixjmtzywght to go to work and be safe.
“The simple answer is: better masks, better ventilation and let’s get those rapid antigen tests so people can be safe and do the work they’ve been doing amazingly for the last two years.”
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Andrew McKellar said there was no reason for unions and employers to be fighting each other on this issue.
“The fundamental failure that we're seeing is the failure to adequately get (RATs) into the marketplace and get these tests ordered by governments, and to make these tests freely and widely available,” he told Sky News.
“This is a public health measure. We need support to get out there and get active in this space.
