NO JAB NO JOB
DAVID WALSH MANDATES VACCINES FOR MONA WORKERS
DAVID Walsh has written to all his staff at the Museum of Old and New Art to tell them they can’t work there unless they are vaccinated.
Mr Walsh, left, made the “harsh but necessary” announcement on Thursday and shared it on his blog to the broader public. He said he would give staff a “decent interval” and help them get their jabs.
“A few staff might think we are trampling on their rights, but the one right they think we are restricting doesn’t exist. Our staff don’t have the right to trample on the rights of their colleagues,” Mr Walsh said.
THE head of the Mona museum has declared that Covid vaccinations will be mandatory for all of his staff, who can either get the jab or lose their jobs.
David Walsh made the “harsh but necessary” announcement in an open letter to staff circulated on Thursday morning.
Mr Walsh said he would give staff a “decent interval” to get their vaccinations, and that those who refused could find employment elsewhere.
“A few staff might think we are trampling on their rights, but the one right they think we are restricting doesn’t exist. Our staff don’t have the right to trample on the rights of their colleagues,” Mr Walsh said.
“Yes, it’s harsh to deprive someone of their livelihood for the good of others. And it’s harsh to deprive someone of their licence for running red
lights. Harsh, but necessary,” Mr Walsh said.
Expanding on his traffic light analogy, Mr Walsh said that drivers did not have the right to ignore red lights, and that staff did not have the right to interact with the public unvaccinated.
Mr Walsh said he would like to make vaccinations mandatory for all museum visitors, but that he stopped short for the sake of the children who were not yet eligible for the jab. Mr Walsh stood by his “harsh” decision, saying that he was doing it for the greater good.
“When you go to work unvaccinated there’s a small chance you’ll get Covid and an even smaller chance you’ll die,” Mr Walsh said.
“But each time you take that risk there is a small chance you’ll kill someone else (it’s multiplicative). That’s not okay.”
The Mercury asked the Fair Work Ombudsman whether it was legal to sack workers who refused to get vaccinated, but did not receive a clear answer.
Ombudsman Sandra Parker said employees or employers could call the Fair Work Ombudsman hotline for more information.
“The Fair Work Ombudsman will review and update our information regularly as the Covid-19 pandemic evolves and the vaccination rollout continues across Australia,” Ms Parker said.
“Our information is guided by applicable laws and judicial decisions, enforceable government directions (such as public health orders) and advice issued by relevant Commonwealth, state and territory agencies.”
She referred the Mercury on to the Fair Work Ombudsman website for more information.
The website indicates that employers can “lawfully and reasonably” direct their staff to get vaccinated in certain circumstances, as determined on a case-by-case basis.
For “Tier 3” workplaces where staff interact with customers, the website advises such a directive would be “in most cases less likely to be reasonable” in areas with low community transmission.
In certain cases, obliging staff to get vaccinated may be deemed unreasonable and unlawful by the Fair Work Ombudsman.