A company working on the Shell-owned Queensland Gas Corporation project have told job applicants they will need to complete a blood test before being offered jobs.
The tests will check if applicants are at risk of heart attacks, high cholesterol and other conditions, and employees must sign a waiver to release their medical records to overseas companies that do not comply with Australia’s privacy laws.
Michael Wright from the Electrical Trades Union said he was horrified at these unusual developments, claiming it opens doors for new employment standards.
"It's a trend that we think leads to an opening of Pandora's box — you can just imagine this paves the way for genetic testing, even blacklisting — we think this sets a new low for employment standards in Australia,” Mr Wright said.