Australia: unvaccinated teachers having paying docked in schools

Recently, unvaccinated teachers in Queensland received a warning letter from the state’s professional teacher union reporting that their salary would be deducted if they do not get vaccinated. As a disciplinary penalty for declining the COVID-19 vaccine, hundreds of unvaccinated teachers would have up to 18 weeks of their pay deducted. About 900 education staff across the state could see their weekly pay docked by between $25 and $90 before tax. 

The state's Education Department's Assistant Director-General for Human Resources, Anne Crowley, wrote the letter in response to a decision made in December 2021 to suspend unvaccinated instructors without pay. The department first suggested a 20-week wage decrease in the four-page letter, but ultimately decided on a gradual reduction over 18 weeks, according to The Courier Mail. The Department declared it had "lost trust" in the educators and asserted that by disobeying the public health recommendations, they had "behaved inappropriately."

The state education department has confirmed that not only teachers but also teacher aides, administration staff, cleaners, and school officers were among those penalized for disregarding the health requirement. Anika Wells, the federal minister of elder care, claims that Queensland teachers who choose not to receive the Covid-19 vaccine are now coping with "the consequences of that choice," including a pay drop. However, teachers say that this action is an unconscionable measure. 

After a mandate was lifted on June 30 of this year, staff who had not received the COVID-19 vaccination were permitted to resume their jobs. Tracy Tully, secretary of the Teachers Professional Association of Queensland, affirms to the Courier Mail that the teachers have not broken any laws or engaged in serious professional misbehavior makes it immoral to impose a fine or take any other disciplinary action. According to the secretary, this treatment of the school staff, who have been at the vanguard of COVID since it started, is utterly demoralizing. 

Last week, more than 50 teachers swapped their classrooms for courtrooms to take on the state government in a bitter row after they were stood down without pay for six months because they refused to have COVID vaccinations. Chris Dekker, an industrial advocate assisting the teachers, said there is a chance for the unvaccinated teachers to put their personal cases forward and present their evidence. This week, unvaccinated teachers could negotiate back pay claiming that it is important for employees to have a choice. 

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