Australia seeing a 'graduated response' to fuel challenges
Working from home arrangements are gaining ground in Australia in the wake of the fuel crisis stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, according to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI).
David Alexander, chief of policy and advocacy at the ACCI, said graduated measures are emerging in workplaces to ease the pressure stemming from the fuel crisis.
"So many businesses are already speaking with their employees and coming to agreements where employees are allowed to work from home. That is a good way to proceed," Alexander told ABC News.
He noted that other voluntary measures can also emerge amid the crisis, such as carpooling, which he said "can be encouraged."
"So what you're seeing is a graduated response. In the early stages, your measures will be softer, voluntary," he said.
"If things persist, the governments may have to consider more serious measures to suppress demand, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's not be behind."
'High level of concern' among employers
Alexander's remarks follow initial opposition from businesses to working from home, who slammed it as a "poorly considered reactionary move" that can further erode employment and the economy.
But businesses have been reporting a variety of consequences resulting from the oil crisis, including increasing absenteeism in workplaces and a deterioration in productivity and output.
Alexander said there is now "a very high level of concern" among businesses when it comes to fuel costs and supply.
"Anxiety is rising day by day," he said in the ABC interview. "Fuel supply is at a national level continuing, but obviously there are hotspots where there are gaps in distribution and the government's working to plug those gaps. But we are very concerned for the business community."
The chief of policy said the transport and freight industry is on the frontline of the crisis, and is a "point of high stress" for the economy.
Business groups have encouraged a reduction in the heavy vehicle road user charge as a temporary and targeted measure.
"It's not too broad. It's targeted at a specific problem which is critical for the functioning of the economy," he said.
"It's like the arteries and the veins of the economy still need to keep circulating. And so this is a measure that can be directly addressed to that purpose."
Meanwhile, Alexander said the government should be looking at support packages to ensure business continuity amid the crisis.
"We did see in COVID a number of measures introduced around cash flow, around keeping employees, around lending, insolvency, emergency payments. Some of these would only be considered at the extreme end of a fuel emergency," he said.
"Nevertheless, the planning should be going on now for those eventualities."
