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Hunter lockdown renews calls for JobKeeper 2.0

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The snap week-long lockdown in the region has led to renewed calls for JobKeeper 2.0 to be implemented to support local workers and businesses.

Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Cessnock, Muswellbrook, Dungog, Singleton and Port Stephens LGAs will enter seven-day “state at home” restrictions from 5pm on 5 August until 12 August.

It comes as the state reported 262 new locally-acquired cases of COVID-19, with a number of them detected in the Hunter.

But, the failure of the federal and NSW governments to respond to the virus continues to leave workers, the unemployed, small business, and our communities vulnerable to further hardship and uncertainty for the future, according to Hunter Workers.

“The current COVID-19 support payments are only available if a lockdown lasts longer than a week,” secretary Leigh Shears said.

“This is insufficient and inadequate, especially for insecure employees who live paycheck-to-paycheck.

“At least 1 in 4 workers do not have access to paid leave.

“So, a lockdown means a lockout for many of them.

“Again, our frontline workers will be under greater pressure to serve the needs of our communities while living with the fear of potential exposure.

“Exposure that is significantly increased when employees have inadequate supports to reduce their movements across our communities.”

Mr Shears said COVID emergency payments, unlike JobKeeper, did not link workers to employment.

“The Morrison government must provide employees and businesses certainty by bringing in JobKeeper 2.0 that is available for all workers across all our industries – including casuals,” he stated.

“The government let us down with its botched vaccine rollout, and they’ve let us down by cancelling thousands of Novocastrians’ vaccinations to divert to Sydney.

“In order to ensure this lockdown is effective, we need to ensure workers are supported to stay at home and businesses are able to stay afloat.

“This means bringing in JobKeeper 2.0 now.”

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