Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) National Secretary Mark Diamond has renewed calls for transport workers to have access to free Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits.

He said whole the sector was being put under increasing pressure to keep supply chains operational, it was not getting the support it needed from the Federal Government.

“Unions have been calling for workers to have access to those kits for months,” he said.

He said the proposal to allow close contacts of COVID cases to return to work earlier – which is being considered by National Cabinet and has already been adopted by some states – was a band-aid solution and came with significant risks.

“We are extremely worried about employers being able to pressure workers to go back to work after they have been exposed to the virus,” he said.

“There is a clear risk that this will lead to more sick workers, more disruptions to supply chains, and more damage to the national economy.

“The RTBU will be monitoring this closely over the coming weeks.”