“The PM’s emphasis in his report on today’s meeting of National Cabinet meeting on getting supply chains moving will help alleviate shortages faced by consumers and the stresses on many businesses facing labour and staffing issues,” Innes Willox Chief Executive of the national employer association Ai Group said today.
“The decision to include all transport, freight and logistics workers including service stations among the sectors able to return to work following a negative test after a close contact is welcome recognition of the interconnectedness of our supply chains and the importance of keeping goods moving across the country in order to secure supply to Australia’s households and businesses.
“Removing the limits on the hours international students can work will provide further support to sectors such as hospitality and transport where many students are working. Ai Group would support consideration of further concessions in this area such as allowing temporary skilled 482 visa holders to work for a second employer in those sectors in critical need of labour.
“Omicron is clearly having a dramatically different impact to previous strains and industry agrees that it makes eminent sense to narrow the definition of a close contact to cases where there has been a positive case in a person’s household.
“We need to deal with the pressures on hospitals and protect the community and we also need to keep our economy going,” Mr Willox said.
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