The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) said the company failed to properly consult with workers and their union on the decision to make vaccinations mandatory.
AMWU also said it was unrealistic to expect all their workers to book appointments by September then get fully vaccinated by November since many workers are still not eligible to receive vaccines.
The union also said the move by SPC to ban unvaccinated workers from onsite work was discriminatory to those who had health concerns that prevented them from being vaccinated.
SPC Chairman Hussein Rifai has previously said that people with medical exemptions for vaccines would be worked through on a case-by-case basis.
Rifai said the decision was made to protect their workers and the broader community from the Delta variant. Workers would receive paid leave to get the jab and extra days of special paid leave to recover if needed.
The AMWU said that while paid vaccination leave was a “positive step,” broader questions around realistic vaccination timelines and banning workers lacked proper consultation.
A number of American companies have moved to make vaccinations mandatory for employees in the United States, including Delta Air Lines, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft.
Australian companies have been unwilling to take the hard-line approach and instead strongly encourage employees to get vaccinated. However, most are also concerned about the legal complexities involved.
University of Sydney employment law expert Giuseppe Carabetta said compulsory vaccinations were a “complex decision” for employers.