On Friday 24 June 2022 the Department of Education announced that they were proposing to remove the need to be vaccinated.
This announcement was made on the same day that the proposal was sent to the union and without having met with É«ÀÇÉçÇøIndustrial Staff.
It seemed to the É«ÀÇÉçÇøthat this announcement presented the proposal as a decided outcome, and the consultation referenced in the communication would be about how the department would implement their decision.
This is totally unacceptable to the PSA.
É«ÀÇÉçÇøWrites to Department – Announcement Before Genuine Consultation
Following the announcement, the É«ÀÇÉçÇøwrote to senior Department representatives to raise our serious concerns with what they had put to staff and to push for an extension of the consultation period.
There was no consultation prior to the announcement to staff on the proposal, how it will be implemented, what additional support will be made available, or information on how the department plans to protect immunocompromised staff.
Extension of Consultation Period – É«ÀÇÉçÇøWin
Your union has today been provided with formal correspondence that confirms that the consultation period will be extended for one week to allow in depth and genuine consultation to occur. This is a win for members.
Members can be reassured that the extension of the consultation period allows the É«ÀÇÉçÇøto engage properly with consultation processes and ensure, as your representatives, that the safety of staff is protected, and your views are properly considered with a genuine ability to influence the final outcome.
Your feedback needed – contact the É«ÀÇÉçÇøtoday
The É«ÀÇÉçÇørelies on the feedback of its members to inform our position.
If you have feedback or concerns about the proposed changes, please email with Vaccination Change Feedback in the subject line.
If you require advice or a specific response to your feedback you must log this through the Member Support Centre.
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