Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Keith Rowley has laid it on the line to Public Servants who have missed the Government’s 17 January deadline to at least begin the COVID-19 vaccination process.
“You will be furloughed, that is, sent home without pay,” Dr Rowley (pictured) said.
“The Government’s workplaces will require (except for medically-certified reasons), if you are a Government employee, that you show your vaccination status,” he said.
“Failing which, you would not be encouraged to stay in the workplace.”
Dr Rowley said the situation of furloughed workers would be that they still had a job “but if you are choosing not to come to work under the conditions laid down, you will not be paid”.
The Prime Minister said this measure applied to all public-sector workers, including teachers and those in State enterprises.
However, at a later press conference, Attorney General, Faris Al-Rawi said since being furloughed did not constitute an indefinite unpaid leave period, Public Servants risked losing their jobs if they refused to be vaccinated without a medical exemption after a defined period.
There has been fierce pushback from unions, which contend that under industrial relations law the Government cannot unilaterally change the terms and conditions of existing contracts to include vaccination status.
President of the Joint Trade Union Movement, Ancel Roget called on the Government to cease and desist, allow workers to go and work and let good sense prevail.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has set up special sites and lines to allow Public Servants to be vaccinated.
Those who turned up said they were there mostly because they did not want to lose their jobs.
They said they had not taken the vaccine before because they were afraid; thought the vaccines had been developed too quickly; or wanted to know the side effects, efficacy, and long-term side effects.
Port of Spain, 17 January 2022
