No jabs, no job, says PM
“NO jabs, no job”
That was the directive from the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama while delivering his COVID-19 national address last night.
“It does not matter if you were the CEO of a company, a sole trader, or a salaried employee – you must be vaccinated to continue working or else that business will risk being shut down that is what the science tells us is safest and that is now the policy of Government and enforced through law,” he said.
Mr Bainimarama did not mince his words last night where he also announced that civil servants who have not received their first dose of the vaccine must go on leave from Monday next week.
He said civil servants cannot return to work until they receive at least the first dose of the vaccine which must be done by August 15 after which they may return to work so long as they go on to be fully vaccinated by November 1.
“If they do not adhere to these guidelines, they will be dismissed from work.”
Mr Bainimarama said it was simply unfair for anyone to risk the health of their co-workers or their customers, or risk undermining a business’s operations because they refuse to get a vaccination that was known to be safe and effective.
He said the management and staff of many businesses in Fiji were already fully vaccinated.
He said all others in the private sector must follow their lead.
Mr Bainimarama said in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act, the Government was requiring that all employers and employees in the private sector and statutory bodies receive at least one dose of the vaccine by August 1.