Co-Joiner Class Action Details

YOUR NAME: Sandra (Sandy) May
PRIMARY EMAIL: sandy_may@bigpond.com
SECONDARY EMAIL:
PHONE NUMBER: 0428541220
SECONDARY PHONE:
ADDRESS: 199 Strickland Rd
Adelaide River, NT 0846

YOUR DAMAGES: Loss of employment, Loss of freedom
HOW DID THE LOCKDOWNS AFFECT YOU?
Being able to access supplies for both us & Pets

I was refused further employment due to my not complying with the company’s covid policy, they permitted all staff to return to the Sydney office after the mandates were lifted but when I asked if I could return in June 2022 Graeme Riches, HR Manager said unless I complied with their covid policy I could not return to their employment. My employment was cancelled on the 4th of April 2022. I was a touring coach driver /guide from the 14th of April 2021 to the 4th of April 2022. This was my 3rd season with this employer operating coaches, carrying up to 58 pax per tour for 2 to 3 days depending on the tour.

Financially this termination was devasting as I had been on work cover from the 15th of September 2021 until the 16th of march 2022 but it was officially cancelled on the 18th of March 2022 when I received my papers in the mail informing me of the notice of the decision to end my support.
My injury has not been rectified, I have applied for the release of my super under compassionate grounds to get the treatment needed for my knee to be able to return to this work in the future.

This loss of employment has caused us no end of financial stress as my husband was also stood down on the 12th Nov 2022 due to the mandates that were imposed in Darwin. He did not comply due to the risk of anaphylaxis. His employer still has not terminated his employment, he is still only stood down without pay he’s had to take a lower-paying job than what he used to be paid from an hourly rate of $38 per hour to $250 per day.

We are currently 1000s behind in our home loans and unable to pay our power and phone bills on time. I am now currently working in a job that’s way less than my normal income, based on my work cover payments I was getting 2211.86 per fortnight nett, whereas now I only get $1674.38 per fortnight net. This loss of 537.48 would make a huge difference plus the extra $54 a day for andy if he was back on his normal rate. He would be on $1336 per week as his employer paid weekly but he’s only getting $2000 per fortnight from his current employment providing he works 10 days for the fortnight.

Prior to my injury, I got $2802. 72 and this was pretty much what my income was each fortnight. The amount I was getting paid while on workover was my base rate with no overtime etc I was also paid a commission for flights and tours booked, these were paid on top of our fortnightly pay I earnt between the 14th of April 2021 to the 7th Sept 2021 when I had my knee injury, I was paid $2,034.37 nett in commissions, had I continued working even under light duties I wouldn’t have had this loss of income, but thanks to Covid 19 it has cost us so much.

At the time of writing this letter, we currently have $8863.29 owing on a number of things such as our home loans and a friend that has helped us keep our home when the bank threatened to commence foreclosure if the $2000 wasn’t paid at the end of last year, she paid this money to stop the bank taking our home. Our power and phone are also part of this. We also haven’t been able to pay our land rates for our home and our investment house in vic. Plus we have $750 water bill on the property as well in Vic. All due to the lost income from my employer and my husband’s employer.

We don’t even know if Andrew can take his case to the Fair Work Commission as they have not terminated his employment. He had no income after he was stood down in Nov 2021 until March 2022. This employment is only a day rate and not the hourly rate of $38 he was on. Based on an 8-hour day which is what he was doing for the previous employer that stood him down, his daily pay rate was $304 but is now only getting $250 per day and that’s if he can even get there, as its currently wet season in Darwin he hasn’t been able to get to his job as the road is flooded in 4 places. Luckily my boss has given him work with us.

I still haven’t had the treatment to my knee due to the lack of income, I am currently waiting for a workcover settlement that will help with the immediate bills and to give me the money to pay for my much-needed treatment. This employer has caused us so much loss and definitely no freedom financially, had I been able to remain working for my employer I would have been on an income of around $120knett. I am currently only on an annual salary of $52K this is just under $70k difference just because I refused to comply with their covid policy.
I also have a letter from Graeme stating he was looking at putting me on as permanent staff when my seasonal contract finished. But this did not happen due to the mandates and their covid policy.

I am also certain my work cover was also cancelled due to my noncompliance, the report done by the insurer’s Dr. is so corrupt, it’s unbelievable when I have 2 other Orthopaedic surgeons disputing his report, it was found that I had multiple injuries, not just one, I had a follow up MRI on the 8th April 2022 and this revealed an impingement to my quadriceps tendon in my right knee.

This currently prevents me from driving coaches simply because this employer refused to cover the treatment for this 2nd injury that was all part of the original injury.
I was unable to pay for an IME report as the insurer told my lawyer I had to pay for this as the employer was not paying for any further reports.
These were quoted from $3000 up to $6000 which I simply didn’t have due to the loss of my income. I could have done light duties only driving the coasters while I had the required treatment and would most likely be fully recovered now and be back driving coaches had they not enforced this covid jab policy on their staff.
Lastly can Andrew also register for this as well?

I have a spreadsheet with all the lost incomes etc if this is of any support I am happy to forward it to you.