Australia’s peak education and miscellaneous workers unions have teamed up to demand teachers receive priority access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Australia’s peak education and miscellaneous workers unions have teamed up to demand teachers receive priority access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Vaccine eligibility is restricted in most states and territories, with Western Australians aged 50 and above able to book an appointment to receive either Pfizer or AstraZeneca’s immunisation.
People between the ages of 30 and 49 can make bookings with community vaccination clinics, GPs, and respiratory clinics, with frontline healthcare workers among those of any age who are eligible to receive the vaccine.
In a letter sent to Health Minister Greg Hunt earlier this month, representatives of United Workers Union, Australian Education Union, and Independent Education Union of Australia argued teachers across the education sector should be given higher priority access to the vaccine.
“We note that recent outbreaks resulting in lockdowns have again revealed the critical role schools and early learning services play in supporting children and families,” the letter said.
“We recognise that in all recent lockdowns except the Northern Territory, early learning services were required to remain open as a front-line essential service and that schools in greater Sydney have been required to return to online learning.
“Teachers, educators and education support staff are feeling overwhelming stress and anxiety as a result of safety concerns and increased workloads to manage impacts of lockdowns and remote learning.
“Millions of families and children rely on schools and early learning services every day.
“The fastest way to minimise the impact of any future COVID outbreaks on the community is to ensure that schools and early learning services can remain open with fully vaccinated staff.”
AEU is affiliated with State School Teachers Union of WA, which is led by state president Pat Byrne, while the IEUA’s state branch is led by Rebecca Collopy.
United Workers Union is one of the largest trade unions in Australia, with its state branch counting more than 20,000 members across the health, education, and manufacturing sectors.
Carolyn Smith, the union’s state secretary, is also president of WA Labor.
