Labor takes up fight to support FIFO workers

LABOR has written to the state government asking it to consider the plight of FIFO workers caught up in the state’s anti-coronavirus border regulations.

A growing chorus of Tasmanian FIFO workers are lobbying the state government for better freedoms in moving between states and spending time with their families in the midst of the pandemic.

Around 1800 locals work interstate, mainly in the mining industry, and are required to spend two weeks in quarantine every time they return home.

Labor spokeswoman Ella Haddad said it was hard to understand why locals were being given different treatment to interstate workers.

“We’ve been hearing from FIFO workers who have got really reasonable questions about why they’re being treated differently from people who are classed as essential workers who are able to hop off the plane and go straight to a worksite,” she said.

“Labor has written to the premier to ask questions about the treatment of FIFO workers and we’re waiting for a response on that, but it’s reasonable for them to be asking these questions and wonder why it is that they’re being treated differently to essential workers who are not required to quarantine or be tested.”

Premier Peter Gutwein said he understood the problems the workers were facing – but the rules were the rules.

“A number of the decisions we have had to make to protect the health and safety of Tasmanians have been challenging and I know our FIFO workers are feeling frustrated and I’m aware of their concerns. But our mandatory quarantine requirements are in place to protect Tasmania from the threat of coronavirus, and like any returning traveller, there is risk associated with our FIFO workers travelling in and out of our state.

“A FIFO worker with a Tasmanian address who works in a state other than Victoria or an affected region or premises can complete their 14 days quarantine at home.”

Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said she understood that the rules created hardship, but were in place to protect the community. It must be hard for fly-in, fly-out workers and their families but most Tasmanians would accept that it was difficult for these workers and would support those in-home quarantine measures, she said.

david.killick@news.com.au speak with any of us. It was said early by someone else on another page: the borders are like an episode from Play School — open, shut them.

Yes, help us out. We’ve done all the heavy lifting keeping the economy ticking over. We’re screened daily. Let us come home.

I don’t know of a single FIFO worker returning to Tasmania with COVID. Mine sites have the strictest regulations of any industry and as result FIFO workers have a greater understanding of safety than most; they certainly don’t have a problem wearing PPE! Workers leave the state to go to work, usually shiftwork and for 12 hours in remote areas further away from COVID hot spots than where most of us currently reside. It’s no holiday on a mine site and our returning FIFO workers are essential for Tasmania. Families are used to the strain of their absence, but the discrimination that our workers are now experiencing has had a huge impact on mental health and wellbeing with no proven benefit to the state for locking them up. There is simply no need to quarantine FIFO workers.