Transport bodies caution govts against 'knee-jerk' reaction to Omicron

07 Dec '21

1 min read

Pic: Enanuchit | Dreamstime.com

World leaders’ knee-jerk reactions to the Omicron variant are putting transport workers and the global supply chain at greater risk of collapse, international transport organisations and road, air and sea transport unions recently cautioned. They urged governments not to re-impose restrictions that limit the freedom of movement of global transport workers.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the International Road Transport Union (IRU) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), in a joint press release, called for an end to the ‘rushed and fragmented’ approach to travel rules by governments.

A week since the World Health Organisation designated the new Omicron strain of COVID-19 as a ‘variant of concern’, at least 56 countries have re-imposed varying degrees of travel restrictions.

The transport bodies represent more than $20 trillion of world trade annually and 65 million global transport workers across the supply chain.

A crisis meeting with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to discuss the recommendations, and the impact that travel bans and other restrictions in response to the Omicron variant will have on transport workers and the global supply chain is scheduled for December 6.

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