Midfield Group says it will follow law, expects some workers will chose not to be vaccinated

By next Friday, October 15, every authorised worker has to have had a vaccination for COVID-19 with a second jab due by November 26.

Midfield Group's general manager Dean McKenna said: "Regarding unvaccinated workers, they have all been told we will be adhering to the laws imposed.

"I believe we will lose some staff due to this, however, we don't have an option."

There are 1.25 million authorised workers in Victoria, and the penalties are the same as for other breaches of the chief health officer's directives - on-the-spot fines of $1817 for individuals and $10,904 for businesses.

Meatworks are already working below capacity due to COVID-19 regulations and there have been warnings this will have a flow-on impact on supply to supermarkets and butchers.

Premier Dan Andrews announced the mandate on Friday last week in an effort to boost vaccination rates and reduce potential hospitalisations.

That led to a protest in Warrnambool last Sunday afternoon attended by about 100 people, who were angry they may lose their jobs if they refused to have the vaccine.

Statewide it's being reported in The Age that the head of the Victorian meat workers' union has asked the state government to make the industry exempt from mandatory vaccinations and allow staff to continue working if they take a daily rapid antigen test.

There are fears that up to 20 per cent of the meat industry workforce could be sidelined by the mandate.

Mr McKenna said he had no idea at this stage what the impact of mandatory vaccinations would be on the Warrnambool abattoir workforce.

It's understood that workers covered by the mandate will be required, when working, to carry an authorised worker permit confirming they have been vaccinated.

Businesses will be responsible for issuing these permits, and for ensuring all employees onsite have a permit.

If an authorised officer attends a workplace and finds workers without a valid permit, both employers and employees can be fined.

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