Union boss says working from home will harm economy, vaccinations | AngusGthompson
reported that the Finance Sector Union and National Tertiary Education Union were negotiating working from home rights on behalf of tens of thousands of workers inspired national debate on Friday, in which the head of the union movement, Sally McManus, foreshadowed it would inspire long-term change.
But the HSU chief said that workplace agreements could encourage staff to stay home indefinitely in “lockdown” mode. “My fear is getting to a point where people go back to working from home that the contributions to the community starts to dry up, and we start to drift back to 2021 when we were locked down,” he said.“Just getting to work, whether it’s a train driver who’s got a job, a barista who’s got a job … just people moving through the community and the flow-on effects for others in the community, if we’re living with the virus, we’ve got to be able to ensure that.
“But the employers are the ones paying the wages and if they don’t believe that it is possible within their business for that person to work from home, that’s the decision that should be made,” he told Nine’sAustralian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Andrew McKellar described the push as a “complete over-reach” and could kill off CBDs. “I think they’re picking up the ball and running into the grandstands,” McKellar said.