TWU STATEMENT ON VIRGIN CABIN CREW POSITIVE COVID TEST

TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine:

“Our thoughts and best wishes are with the flight attendant that has sadly contracted COVID-19 and others who await test results. Virgin Australia informed the TWU of the positive case and the airline’s rapid response to inform and advise close contacts of the crew member. We are working closely with the airline to ensure all Virgin workers are supported and the risk to others minimised.”

“It has been more than four months since Australia’s vaccine rollout began. It is inexcusable that so many frontline workers, particularly those travelling interstate in tightly packed aircraft, have not been protected against a highly contagious virus that has gripped the globe for well over a year.”

“Aviation workers were among the first and most drastically affected by this pandemic. The Federal Government’s failure to prevent Virgin’s collapse into administration, its failure to implement a national aviation plan, and its failure to ensure essential workers are vaccinated has caused undue suffering and stress to workers, damaged the economy and endangered our communities.”

“Over recent days we have seen a driver linked to aviation brutally scapegoated by the NSW Government rather than admit to their failure to address known cracks in the system, which TWU’s NSW branch had previously raised as a concern. We ask the government to cease its condemnation of workers just trying to do their job and concentrate on the important task of keeping our communities safe.”

Click here for Virgin Australia’s media statement