Coronavirus: in Australia, precarious workers are the most exposed

In Australia, in Melbourne, precarious workers are the most exposed to the coronavirus, according to an investigation (photo illustration). William WEST / AFP

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Australia recorded more than 300 additional cases of Covid-19 on Monday. The pandemic is progressing especially in the state of Victoria with 19 more deaths in a single day. Melbourne has become the epicenter of the second wave hitting the country. A survey published by The Sunday Age shows that social disparities in Australia play a big role in the spread of the virus. Poor neighborhoods are on the front line.

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In Australia , Melbourne was confined again in early July. A curfew has been imposed. Strict measures have started to bear fruit. The number of contaminations is decreasing. But social disparities play a big role in the spread of the virus, according to a survey conducted by  The Sunday Age.

Not all Melbourne residents are equal in the face of the pandemic. This is one of the conclusions that Marcus Spiller, an Australian economist and urban planner, draws after mapping the sectors most affected by covid-19 in Melbourne.

Precarious workers strongly affected

“  The areas most at risk are the deindustrialised suburbs, with a high proportion of social housing. Mainly in the north and west of Melbourne . These are areas where households take on several jobs at the same time in an attempt to make ends meet in a deregulated labor market  , ”notes Marcus Spiller.

For him, precarious workers are the most at risk. “  For several years, we have noticed a precariousness in the labor market. Today precarious contracts represent more than 20% of the workforce. These are, for example, personal services, cleaning agents, guards, retail salespeople,  ”he adds.

He notes that with the coronavirus "  these workers are at greater risk since they have to move more and come into contact with more people  ". The Covid-19 would therefore worsen social inequalities in Australia. All the more so since these jobs are mostly occupied by migrant workers, and often women.

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  • Australia
  • Coronavirus
  • Employment and Work
  • Health and medicine

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