It’s legal: No jab, no job

The National Main Stories
Powes Parkop

By LORRAINE JIMAL
EMPLOYERS are required by law to provide their workers a safe work environment – thus the need for employees to get the Coronavirus (Covid-19) jab, or be tested negative daily, an official says.
A similar small protest was staged in Lae on Friday.
“We (employers) are legally required to create a safe working environment for employees,” Parkop said.
“In the private and government sectors, they are telling their workers to get vaccinated, otherwise get tested every day (to ensure that they have a negative result) before going inside their work place.”
The National Capital District Commission (NCDC) started the ball rolling last month by enforcing the ‘no jab, no job’ policy, requiring all employees to be vaccinated by Nov 1 (yesterday), or be taken off the payroll.
Parkop said they were just following Occupational Health and Safety Act requirements which “seeks to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees and other people at work. It also aims to ensure that the health and safety of the public is not put at risk by work activities”.
Many employers in the public and private sectors have made vaccination mandatory to keep their employees and organisation safe from the Covid-19.
Parkop stressed that the Government had never made vaccination mandatory, but then employers had to ensure the safety of their employees and their families.
“If you want to get the vaccine, that’s up to you,” he said.
“We never said everyone must get vaccinated.” But then anyone who wants to visit City Hall must get tested and would only be allowed in if the result is negative.
Parkop said the measure applied to NCDC employees.
“The employees from the commission will be here every day and the best way to make sure they protect each other is through the vaccine,” he said.
“I want to make this clear.”
He said if the National Capital District Commission was forced to shut down, many people and businesses would be affected.
Therefore, he said measures were in place for the employees to make sure city hall remains open.