Unions: PM fails to protect workers in Covid crisis

Australia’s peak union body has called a crisis

meeting after the prime minister’s ‘‘failure’’ to protect workers and community safety by making rapid antigen tests free. The ACTU wrote to Scott Morrison on Monday offering to work together through Australia’s staffing crisis and proposing urgent changes for workers, but has not heard back from the prime minister. National cabinet agreed on Thursday to allow employees from more sectors to be able to return to work, even if they are listed as a close contact of a positive case, but workers will need to return a negative rapid test beforehand.