IWUA Case Win #1345: Coles Backs Down on Mandates - IWUA Upholds Workers Rights

In a major victory for workers' rights, Coles has amended its employment policy to no longer require vaccination as a condition of employment. The announcement comes after our intrepid campaign which collected thousands of signatures on a petition and rallied support on social media.

Our campaign began by gathering personal stories from individuals who were directly impacted by Coles' vaccine policies. We then shared these stories with Coles, politicians, and the media on a daily basis, shedding light on the human consequences of the mandates.

We also encouraged members of the community to use the hashtag #dropcoles on social media to raise awareness of the issue which trended on Twitter Australia.

As pressure mounted, Coles finally relented, amending their policy on 28/02/2023 that vaccination would no longer be a requirement for employment.

Thousands of workers can now return to work at Coles - if they want to, however this doesn’t change the fact that Coles caused unnecessary harm and suffering through it’s policy.

While this is a huge win for IWUA members and for all workers who value their right to make their own health decisions, we will continue to fight for our members who were affected by this policy. 

By directly confronting Coles and publicly holding them accountable, we were able to compel them to make the necessary changes. We want to thank everyone who showed their support in this campaign. Together we were able to solve real problems for real people.

Why is the IWUA different? We believe that real change in workforce STARTS with empowering workers, not bureaucrats. 

If you are a member of IWUA and suspect you are a victim of discrimination, please submit a member support ticket on your dashboard, or contact us on
(07) 3497 5071 - hotline@iwua.asn.au

To find out more about IWUA and become protected today visit: https://iwua.redunion.com.au/