Last Friday the ALAEA was successful in having Federal Court Orders handed down to Virgin. These orders allow members to satisfy Virgin’s COVID-19 vaccination policy by proving their vaccination status producing a screenshot of their Apple/Android wallet version of their COVID-19 digital certificate rather than the full certificate which contains sensitive personal medical information.

 

 

The orders also allow members to have any previously submitted certificates to be substituted with the Apple/Android wallet version and instructs Virgin not to use any collected IHI numbers.

 

The ALAEA expects a further hearing by the 22nd of October. The ALAEA will be seeking all previously submitted certificates with IHI numbers to be destroyed.

 

Around an hour before this matter went to court the ALAEA received an email from Qantas Industrial Relations. This email advised the ALAEA that Qantas have been informed by the Government that they will start issuing new vaccination certificates late this week that will not have the IHI number and that Qantas expects to accept the new certificates as proof of vaccination.

 

There has also been some confusion with the issuing of a Public Health Order by the Victorian Government and proof of vaccination requirements for Victorian Airport Workers. This order only requires employers to SIGHT your vaccination status, not collect and keep it. Note, some individual workgroups have made agreements on submitting Apple/Android wallet as proof, and the ALAEA suggest this is reasonable. There is no requirement due to this order for employers to collect and keep certificates containing IHI numbers.

 

This is an important win for the ALAEA which will has ramifications across Australia and was only made possible by a huge effort from the team. Particularly Federal Secretary Steve Purvinas and Legal Officer Sean Morgan with the assistance of Barrister Lucy Saunders.

 

 

In Solidarity

 

Peter Gill
Assistant Federal Secretary
Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association

Notice 008_2021_All members_Covid Vaccination Certificate Court Order