It is the first move by a major media company to require vaccinations for staff as several major players in the industry begin to mull whether to require jabs for other employees,including journalists,as the number of cases in NSW and Victoria grows.
Chullora is in one of the council areas the NSW government is most concerned about because of coronavirus cases and transmission,which prompted News Corp to introduce the rule as a way of keeping its staff safe and the plant functioning.
It prints newspapers includingThe AustralianandThe Daily Telegraph as well asThe Sydney Morning HeraldandThe Australian Financial Reviewas part of a contract between Nine,the owner of this masthead,and News Corp.
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From September 20,workers from the local government areas of concern,which include Chullora and nearby council areas,will not be allowed to leave their council area for work unless they have had at least one dose of a vaccine or a medical exemption.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union,which covers printing workers,does not support mandatory vaccination and argues it will increase vaccine hesitancy.
“Calls for mandatory vaccination should only come with public health orders and print workers are not subject to public health orders,” Lorraine Cassin,the union’s print and packaging secretary,said.