Huge change coming to major Australian cab company as it offers passengers the choice to book a vaccinated driver – with ONLY jabbed workers allowed to take app bookings
Australian taxi company 13Cabs is driving a customer-led push that will open the door for passengers to book a trip with a fully vaccinated cabbie.
The cab company says they've been inundated with calls from customers asking if they could request drivers who have received the Covid jab, which substantially decreases the chance an infected person can pass the virus on.
Chief operating officer Stuart Overell took the idea directly to the fleet's 10,000 drivers to see if they wanted to be part of the groundbreaking scheme which will prioritise vaccinated workers - and he said they 'overwhelmingly' jumped at the chance.
Compulsory jabs and vaccine passports have been a hot-button topic of late with many businesses around the country reluctant to mandate Covid vaccinations for their staff.
But with the meter running on national vaccine targets as a way to avoid the relentless cycle of lockdowns and interstate border closures, it appears demand for double-dosed employees may start to be led by customers, not employers.
Australian taxi company 13Cabs is driving a customer-lead push that will open the door for passengers to book a trip with a fully vaccinated cabbie (stock image)
Chief operating officer of 13Cabs Stuart Overell took the idea directly to the fleet's 10,000 drivers who 'overwhelmingly' jumped at the chance
'The enthusiasm of 13Cabs drivers to provide their Covid-19 vaccination certificate has overwhelmed our staff processing their applications, with 20 per cent of drivers providing proof of vaccination in the first two days,' he said.
WILL YOU CARE IF YOUR TAXI DRIVER IS VACCINATED?
WILL YOU CARE IF YOUR TAXI DRIVER IS VACCINATED?
Now share your opinion
'We are currently tracking towards having the vaccination status of all our drivers within two weeks.'
The survey found that just 5.9 per cent of drivers did not want to be part of the plan and get the jab.
The company said customers will soon be able to book a fully vaccinated driver through the 'VAX' option on the app when all of the driver's details are finalised.
In the meantime passengers calling 13Cabs can ask the operator for a double-dosed driver.
'We know many of our drivers have already been vaccinated and 13Cabs is proud to play its part in supporting safer travel for the community by clearly making the option available for passengers and providing an incentive for drivers not already vaccinated to go get the jab,' Mr Overell said.
The company said customers will soon be able to book a fully vaccinated driver through the 'VAX' option on the app when all of the driver's details are finalised
Taxi driver George Valiotis is one of the thousands who have backed the decision saying its a necessary step during 'challenging times'.
'We look after our communities, which includes vulnerable passengers and essential workers,' Mr Valiotis said.
'It's also vital we look after ourselves, our passengers and our communities. We know being vaccinated supports our important work to continue safely.'
But the taxi firm are not the first cab off the rank when it comes to pushing for their workers to vaccinated.
With the meter running on national vaccine targets as a way to avoid the relentless cycle of lockdowns and interstate border closures, it appears demand for double-dosed employees may start to be led by customers, not employers. Pictured: A man receives a Covid vaccine in Dubbo NSW
Qantas announced plans to make Covid vaccinations mandatory for all employees giving staff three months to roll up their sleeves.
Frontline staff like cabin crew, pilots and airport workers numbering approximately 2000 employees will have until November 15 to get jabbed, while the 20,0000 remaining workers have until March 31 next year.
The airline announced the decision for mandatory vaccinations was made 'as part of the national carrier's commitment to safety'.
'Frontline employees – including cabin crew, pilots and airport workers – will need to be fully vaccinated by 15 November 2021 and the remainder of employees by 31 March 2022,' Qantas said in a statement.
'There will be exemptions for those who are unable for documented medical reasons to be vaccinated, which is expected to be very rare.'
Australian airline Qantas has announced vaccinations will be mandatory for all frontline staff by November 15, with the 20,000 remaining employees to have until March 2022 to get jabbed (pictured, a Qantas plane taking off from Sydney airport in May 2021)
Qantas boss Alan Joyce said a fully-vaccinated workforce would keep not only employees safe but their customers and the communities they fly to
The airline said the decision was made after a survey was presented to 22,000 Qantas and Jetstar employees to get their opinion on mandatory jabs.
Of the 12,000 employees who responded to the survey, 89 per cent said they had already been jabbed or had booked one.
Of that group, 60 per cent were fully vaccinated, 77 per cent had received one dose and 12 per cent were booked in or planned to do so.
Just four per cent of people were unwilling or unable get the jab, with seven per cent undecided or preferring not to say.
Qantas boss Alan Joyce said having a fully vaccinated workforce will not only keep staff safe from the virus but also their customers and the communities they fly to.
'One crew member can fly into multiple cities and come into contact with thousands of people in a single day,' the chief executive said.
'Making sure they are vaccinated given the potential of this virus to spread is so important, and I think it's the kind of safety leadership people would expect from us.'
Of the 12,000 Qantas and Jetstar employees who responded to a survey on mandatory vaccinations, 89 per cent said they had already been jabbed or had booked one (pictured, passengers at Sydney airport in June 2021)
Of that group, 60 per cent were fully vaccinated, 77 per cent had received one dose and 12 per cent were booked in or planned to do so (pictured, passengers at Sydney airport in July)
Mr Joyce said the airline had a responsibility as an essential service to help defend against snap lockdowns and border closures that came with outbreaks of the virus.
The carrier said three-quarters of its staff backed the move towards mandatory vaccines and said they would feel concerned working alongside unvaccinated colleagues.
'Many of our people said they would feel concerned about working with unvaccinated colleagues, which is something that many workplaces across the country are grappling with,' Mr Joyce said.
'We understand there will be a very small number of people who decide not to get the vaccine, and that's their right, but it's our responsibility to provide the safest possible environment for our employees and for our customers.'
Qantas said three-quarters of its staff backed the move towards mandatory vaccines and said they would feel concerned working alongside unvaccinated colleagues (pictured, masked passengers and flight crew on a Qantas flight to Auckland from Sydney in April 2021)
Qantas is the second major Australian employer to announce mandatory vaccinations for all of its staff, following food manufacturer SPC who became the first earlier this month (pictured, passengers boarding a Qantas flight to New Zealand in April 2021)
Qantas is the second major Australian employer to announce mandatory vaccinations for all of its staff.
Earlier this month food manufacturer SPC became the first company to make a Covid-19 vaccine mandatory for all workers and visitors to its site.
The firm announced all staff and contractors at the company's factory in Shepparton in regional Victoria must be fully vaccinated by the end of November.
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie praised SPC for 'having the guts' to make vaccinations mandatory for its staff.
'The last thing we need is for food suppliers, which are so crucial, to be shutting down,' she told the Today show.
'I applaud them, having the guts to come out and do that.'
SPC's edict followed tech giant Microsoft announcing all employees must show proof of vaccination before entering its US offices from September.
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie praised SPC for 'having the guts' to make vaccinations mandatory for its staff (pictured, a health care worker fills a syringe with a Pfizer vaccine)
SPC is Australia's primary producer of packaged fruit and its brands include Ardmona, Goulburn Valley, SPC, ProVital, Kuisine, and PomLife.
Chairman Hussein Rifai said the emergence of the highly contagious Delta variant prompted the move - which is a first in Australia for non-health-related businesses.
'Lockdowns are not a sustainable solution and the Australian economy needs to open up again,' he said.
'The Delta variant poses a significant threat to our people, our customers and the communities we serve.
'The only path forward for our country is through vaccination.'
All SPC workers will be offered paid time off to get their vaccinations, and two days special paid leave if they become unwell afterwards.
SPC is Australia's primary producer of packaged fruit and its brands include Ardmona, Goulburn Valley, SPC, ProVital, Kuisine, and PomLife (pictured, SC Ardmona factory)
The canned fruit and vegetable processor announced all staff and contractors at the company's factory in Shepparton in regional Victoria must be fully vaccinated by the end of November (pictured, SPC employees leaving the Ardmona factory in Shepparton, Victoria)
SPC chief executive Robert Giles said the company was setting an example for others.
'Australian companies must go further by rapidly vaccinating their staff,' he said.
'We firmly believe that it will be manufacturers and innovators like SPC who will help drive Australia's post-Covid economic recovery.'
Last month the FairWork Ombudsman updated its advice on whether companies could mandate vaccinations among their employees.
Previously the watchdog released guidance saying that businesses were 'overwhelmingly' unable to require staff to get the jab.
However, the Ombudsman has now said businesses in key industries such as border control, quarantine, healthcare and aged care organisation are 'more likely' to enforce vaccinations for their workers.