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Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has been ambushed on the streets of Sydney by a disgruntled anti-vaxxer who said he was a ‘grub’ and a ‘disgrace’ for enforcing a vaccine mandate on his staff during the height of the Covid pandemic.
Pro-Putin campaigner Simoen Boikov was all smiles as he greeted Mr Joyce and asked if they could take a photo while they walked side-by-side along George Street.
Mr Joyce puts his arm around the outspoken anti-vaxxer and smiles for the photo, but the mood quickly sours as Mr Boikov confronts the Qantas boss about the company’s vaccine mandates, while capturing the moment on video.
Mr Boikov, also known as the Aussie Cossack, told the CEO he was a ‘grub’ and a disgrace’ for introducing a vaccine mandate for Qantas staff, which also applied to Jetstar, in August 2021.
‘You stopped your workers from working. You discriminate on medical grounds. You discriminate against the unvaccinated,’ Mr Boikov tells him.
‘Do you enjoy doing this? Do you enjoy picking on people?’ Mr Joyce responds.
‘I’m not picking on people. You pick on people mate. I’m calling you out buddy,’ the Aussie Cossack replies.
Mr Joyce tells him to ‘p*ss off’ and starts to walk faster down the city street.
Mr Boikov warns him the clip is being uploaded to his YouTube channel, and asks if this is how he treats people who complain.
‘Go for it. You’re the disgrace for picking on someone just walking down the street,’ the chief executive replies.
‘You’re not somebody, you’re a grub,’ Mr Boikov says.
‘Oh f**k off,’ an exasperated Mr Joyce replies.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce (left) has told Simeon ‘Aussie Cossack’ Boikov (right) to f*** off during a heated argument over Covid vaccinations
Viewers were quick to throw their support behind the Qantas CEO in the comments.
‘Good on you Alan you just earned my respect,’ one person wrote.
‘He’s a CEO, let him walk he’s got a job to do like everyone else,’ another said.
‘Well said Alan Joyce, more people should tell him the same thing!’ a third shared.
‘Alan Joyce won the Pub Test,’ a fourth commented.
Mr Boikov, who has become known for his wild online antics, was jailed in June for breaching court orders for naming an alleged paedophile during an anti-vaxxer rally.
In a video taken as he was released on parole in September, he said ‘I’m not going to stop, I’m going to double down’.
Mr Boikov did not saying what he intended to ‘double down’ on, but probably meant his support for Russia, Putin, the invasion of Ukraine, and anti-vax views.
Mr Boikov said the CEO he was a ‘disgrace’ for not allowing unvaccinated employees to go to work after staff were given three months to get jabbed in August of 2021
Pro-Russia patriot (left) Simeon Boikov confronted Mr Joyce (right) as he walked along George Street in Sydney’s CBD to ask why the airline enforced a vaccine mandate
In August 2021, Qantas announced plans to make Covid vaccinations mandatory for all employees who were given three months to get jabbed.
Frontline staff like cabin crew, pilots and airport workers had until November 15 to get one dose of the vaccine, while remaining workers had until the end of March.
The airline said the decision to make Covid vaccinations mandatory for staff was made ‘as part of the national carrier’s commitment to safety’.
The mandate was introduced after a survey was presented to 22,000 Qantas and Jetstar employees to get their opinion on mandatory jabs.
Of the 12,000 employees who responded to the survey, 89 per cent said they had already been jabbed or had booked one.
A survey of Qantas customers at the time found 92 per cent expected airline crews to be vaccinated.
In August 2021, Qantas announced plans to make Covid vaccinations mandatory for all employees who were given three months to get jabbed (pictured, a Qantas plane)
At the time, Mr Joyce said having a fully vaccinated workforce will not only keep staff safe from the virus but also their customers and the communities they fly to.
‘One crew member can fly into multiple cities and come into contact with thousands of people in a single day,’ the chief executive said.
‘Making sure they are vaccinated given the potential of this virus to spread is so important, and I think it’s the kind of safety leadership people would expect from us.’
Qantas was the second major Australian employer to announce mandatory vaccinations for all of its staff.
Earlier the same month, food manufacturer SPC became the first company to make a Covid-19 vaccine mandatory for all workers and visitors to its site.
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