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Aussie Tradies Protest Tearoom Ban By Shutting Down Streets To Have Lunch Break

Aussie Tradies Protest Tearoom Ban By Shutting Down Streets To Have Lunch Break

They've brought plastic chairs and blocked traffic and trams to make their voices heard.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Tradies in Melbourne have shut down streets in the CBD to protest against a decision designed for safety.

To limit the number of people crowding around one indoor area, tearooms will soon be banned at worksites as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak in the city.

While the ban was announced with health and safety in mind, it hasn't gone down well with tradies and they've decided to launch a lunchtime protest.

According to 7News, they brought plastic chairs and plopped them on Lonsdale Street, Swanston Street, Spencer Street and Sydney Road, blocking traffic and trams from flowing through the CBD areas.

They brought their lunch with them and had what appeared to be a lovely little meal with each other.

Premier Daniel Andrews is bringing in new restrictions at 11:59pm tonight (September 17), which is meant to target the growing number of Covid-19 cases coming from worksites.

Tradies account for 13 per cent of the state's new case numbers and authorities are implementing several new measures to keep those figures as low as possible.

In addition to the tearoom ban, people on worksites won't be allowed to eat or drink indoors and they will be prevented from crossing the metro-regional boundary for work.

Construction workers will also be forced to get their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine by September 23 and show proof of it when they sign on. They will be allowed to show they have booked in for their vaccine and limited medical exemptions will be allowed.

This brings the construction industry in line with the aged care sector in terms of their vaccination requirements.

Premier Daniel Andrews has allowed the construction industry to stay open during the lockdown, however staff at each site has to be capped at 25 per cent of full capacity, which is backed up by the health advice.

He said: "If they want to work and be part of that 25 per cent, they need to be vaccinated with one dose by midnight next Thursday night.

"If they're not, they won't be able to come on site. That's keeping them open. The other thing would be to close them down to zero."

Featured Image Credit: 7News

Topics: Australia