Manning talking to Lae firms

PRIME Minister James Marape says Lae companies that have been forcing staff to get vaccinated to keep their jobs will be visited by a team from the National Covid Centre, including National Pandemic Response Controller David Manning.
“Controller David Manning and his team are now in Lae to speak with companies imposing a no jab no job policy,” he told Parliament yesterday. “As far as this Government is concerned, vaccination is not compulsory.” However, Marape told Parliament last month that Government would not interfere with companies’ policies on vaccination and workplace safety.
He was responding to Opposition Leader Belden Namah, who had questioned the Government’s stand on company-imposed Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccinations and the strict health guidelines and safety standards.
West New Britain Governor Sasindran Muthuvel raised similar concerns yesterday, saying workers in Lae were protesting about being terminated because they didn’t get vaccinated.
“I made it clear that there is no industrial dispute coming to Labour Department or through us (Government), that there is a no jab no job situation,” Marape said.
He said Manning would meet the Lae Chamber of Commerce to find out workplace issues.
“So I want to assure the students of the University of Technology and other interest groups advocating for the rights of workers, which they have, and my Government is also interested in it,” he said.
“I have already made it clear that workplace safety is important to all companies. For instance, you can’t go to a mining company with no consideration for safety, so we have to find the balance in workplace where companies impose safety measures and at the same time employees are not forced into getting vaccination.
“On record the Government has no report from any Labour union or anyone who have complaints of being sacked for not getting vaccination.’’
Abau MP Sir Puka Temu said Marape had never answered the question properly and wanted him to say that employees not being vaccinated must not be terminated.