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Australia's Qantas to make vaccines mandatory for staff

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Next time I'm going to take a flight anywhere, the very first thing I'm going to check, even before the price, is the airline's policy regarding its staff and vaccination.

Any airline which doesn't mandate vaccinations, for its staff, like Qantas has done, is out instantly.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Lots of countries won't allow unvaccinated people in. It will be too much of a hassle getting tested 2x before every flight and 2x when arriving. Quantas is just ensuring their people have the quickest traversal in and out of airports, which directly related to the health of their people by staying away from crowds when possible.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Is that because a vaccinated flight crew cannot possibly pass on the virus to you?

Nope.

It's because it shows a commitment to doing as much as possible to mitigate the risks.

Imagine you had two taxi companies, company A and company B

Company A insisted that all its drivers took a breathalyser test before starting work. Company B does not, as its drivers keep bleating about their "rights".

Which company would you use?

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Which is why, WHEN we can fly internationally again without hindrance I will have no problem jumping straight on ANA.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

...and it will get thrown in Court as it will be seen in Public Interest. Get used to a very different life @Burning Bush as an anti-vaxxer. I wouldn't want to see you denied basic freedoms, but there is a lot of stuff you will be unavailable to do in the short term future. Seems like your campaign iof lies and disinformation and deception is failing.

2 ( +8 / -6 )

Quantas is just ensuring their people have the quickest traversal in and out of airports, which directly related to the health of their people by staying away from crowds when possible.

It's spelt 'Qantas'

No fan of this airline, nor it's self aggrandising CEO. But this is the right call if we are to ever be able to travel again.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Should Qantas send staff to covid rife nations and they catch it and die due to not being vaccinated, they will face court for failure to ensure a safe working environment. That is Australian workplace regulations that all Employers must adhere to. If an employee die's the employer is held responsible if they could have taken action to prevent it. Why risk that when a vaccination that is free to all citizens in Australia and basically eliminates that possibility. They chose correctly.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Good news.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

The Australian Government shouldn’t have signed off on this.

They didn't. They left it up to companies to determine on their own:

Qantas' new rule comes after Australia's conservative government said it would not make vaccines mandatory but would leave businesses to implement their own policies.

Then:

Vaccinations have neither been mandated for international passengers

Who cares if they have been mandated for international travelers. Australia is focused on the protection of Australia. They have the right to set the rules for their country.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

A private company that would’ve collapsed were it not for the wherewithal provided by a Federal Government that has not (yet) decided to go down the mandatory vaccine route is in no position to “set the rules for the country”.

What in tarnation are you talking about? I was talking about Australia, and you started talking about Qantas. No one is trying to claim Qantas should be able to set policy for Australia.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Governments, not private companies, are charged with protecting Australia.

Yeah, and Australia gets to decide what it wants to do, including letting Qantas require their staff be vaccinated, even though:

Vaccinations have neither been mandated for international passengers

Why would Australia care if they have been mandated for international passengers when determining if they are going to allow Qantas to require their staff to be vaccinated?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

And so what? First time one of their vaccinated staff get infected they will go jnto panic mode again.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The case for Qantas is much, much weaker than 6 months ago given its clear that no current vaccines can prevent infection or transmission, so why force people to take something they dont want? I think they will loose.

Given that the purpose of the vaccine is to prevent death, and that it has proven to do exactly that, I cant see how Qantas can lose.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

No surprise that Qantas requires their staff to be vaccinated. After all, they will require international passengers to be vaccinated. Common sense. Do we really want First Class, Business Class and Economy Class further divided into Vaccinated and Unvaccinated? No thanks.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

There is no safeguard as we're already hearing about vaccinated people being taken to hospital with side effects, death and ironically, catching covid!

There is safeguard when 97% of the new hospitalizations come from unvaccinated people

That's 97% unvaccinated vs. 3% vaccinated - the degree of difference is massive! If that's not a safeguard, I don't know what is!

That means vaccinated people are 32-to-1 less likely to suffer severe complications that require hospitalization. People should be thankful to them for not using up badly-needed space and resources in hospitals

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Because the purpose for Qantas is to cut transmission to firstly staff and secondly customers.

"Having a fully vaccinated workforce will safeguard our people against the virus but also protect our customers and the communities we fly to," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said in a statement.

By "safeguarding our people against the virus" Alan Joyce is talking about protecting them from death and reducing the chance of getting the virus, thus reducing the chance of passing it to customers and communities they visit. Obviously those with 'breakthrough" infections are able to transmit as are the unvaccinated. But being vaccinated increases the chances of not getting infected in the first place, and if infected of fighting it off faster.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

As has already been pointed out to you, the Australian Government has not mandated vaccines for particular occupation categories, nor for incoming international passengers, including those using Qantas and until such time as it does, it is beholden upon this private company which has received enormous amounts of tax payer funded assistance to avoid any provocative actions which are not in line with community expectations. They’re entitled to lobby the Government to introduce occupation specific vaccine mandates, but unilateral determinations of this sort are unhelpful in the extreme, serving only to ratchet up tensions and polarize society.

You can argue, and I wouldn’t disagree, that the Government has gone missing in action, thereby inviting Qantas to engage in woke virtue signalling. Government reticence to bite the bullet and readiness to cede responsibility for policy making to a private company has no place in Australia’s democracy and should be roundly condemned.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

There is definately going to be court action because you have a Prime Minister who says we will not have compulsory vaccination, but then is giving permission for private companies to make it compulsory.

How can you have conflicting policies like this? Its because its just typical of a PM who doesnt want to be seen to be making harsh decisions in what is meant to be a democracy, like forcing people to put something in their bodies they dont want.

There will be a case in the High Court eventually. Its just a matter of time. What the outcome will be is difficult to know. The case for Qantas is much, much weaker than 6 months ago given its clear that no current vaccines can prevent infection or transmission, so why force people to take something they dont want? I think they will loose.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Having a fully vaccinated workforce will safeguard our people against the virus but also protect our customers and the communities we fly to," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said in a statement

There is no safeguard as we're already hearing about vaccinated people being taken to hospital with side effects, death and ironically, catching covid!

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

There will be no international travel they’re dreaming and for that matter barely any domistic travel either due to states closing borders at a whim.more chance flying to Mars than Australia.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Given that the purpose of the vaccine is to prevent death, and that it has proven to do exactly that, I cant see how Qantas can lose.

Because the purpose for Qantas is to cut transmission to firstly staff and secondly customers.

None of the "vaccines" offer this with anything remotely reasonably a guarantee

So again a) your potentially forcing people to take something they dont want or be sacked for b) "vaccines" which dont solve the issue your trying to solve.

There on shaky ground tbh. Which is why its being reported that lawyers in Australia are carving out exemptions in some instances for staff who dont want it, because they know its shaky ground and their potential to lose a court case is significant.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

BoycottQantas.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

No surprise that Qantas requires their staff to be vaccinated. After all, they will require international passengers to be vaccinated. Common sense.

The Australian Government shouldn’t have signed off on this. Vaccinations have neither been mandated for international passengers nor does Government policy favour a vaccine mandate. Ostensibly a private company, Qantas would’ve collapsed already were it not for the massive financial assistance it’s received from the Australian Government and it should stop engaging in virtue signalling theatrics made all the more repulsive since the vaccines do not confer immunity in the first place.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

They have the right to set the rules for their country.

A private company that would’ve collapsed were it not for the wherewithal provided by a Federal Government that has not (yet) decided to go down the mandatory vaccine route is in no position to “set the rules for the country”.

Australia is focused on the protection of Australia

Governments, not private companies, are charged with protecting Australia. Perhaps you’re confusing Qantas with International Rescue of Thunderbirds fame. By your own failed logic, Google and Facebook should be given the keys to determine what rules apply to all their commercial operations.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

When a company mandates a vaccine that its maker is immune from liability, then the company assumes all liability for any health complications that result. I hope Qantas has deep pockets.

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

Stefan DrapeaufauxToday  09:32 am JST

Next time I'm going to take a flight anywhere, the very first thing I'm going to check, even before the price, is the airline's policy regarding its staff and vaccination.

Any airline which doesn't mandate vaccinations, for its staff, like Qantas has done, is out instantly.

Is that because a vaccinated flight crew cannot possibly pass on the virus to you?

What about airport staff at either end? Baggage handlers, immigration, customs etc.?

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

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