‘No jab, no job’ warning to employers

By KELVIN JOE
PRIVATE sectors should not force employees to be vaccinated to keep their job, Papua New Guinea Trade Union Congress (PNGTUC) general secretary Clement Kanau says.
He made the statement after some organisations threatened their employees to get Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine in order to keep the job and access benefits,” he said.
“We have received concerns almost every day with regard to vaccination as compulsory for the employees to keep their job,” he said.
Kanau said employees should not be threatened with the words “no jab, no work” because PNG was a democratic country where people had the right to freedom and liberty to make decisions.
“Employers should not threaten the workers with no jab, no work,” he said. “Our country is embedded on a strong freedom and everyone has a choice in decision-making.”
Kanau said PNGTUC would monitor employers who were threatening employees with no-jab, no-work, no-pay through information sharing and research.
“We will not hesitate to to address the issue,” he said.
Kanau said the Government had made it clear that people should not be forced to be vaccinated but some organisations were setting conditions for their employees as being more or less compulsory.
Meanwhile, Porgera Workers’ Union general secretary Meck Minnda said the issue was concerning as it puts lives at stake.
He said it was not about scientific debate on Covid-19, but it would affect children’s education, families’ income and living condition.
“They are pushing the employees to variable corners to choose between vaccine and job,” he said