A labor group is seeking a government ban on the “no work, no vaccine” policy of some companies for being discriminatory for workers.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Associated Labor Union (ALU) expressed its alarm over reports that some firms will disallow employees from returning to work if they will not get Covid-19 vaccine shots once available.
This policy is a violation of the right of workers to decide on their health and well-being, the ALU said.
“Employees, either in private or in government, must never ever be subjected to any compulsion. The decision of any person not be vaccinated should be respected in the same way we respect those who had taken the vaccine,” ALU national executive vice president Gerard R. Seno said in a statement.
The labor leader noted establishments should only be allowed to encourage their workers to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
In a text message, ALU spokesperson person Alan Tanjusay said they got such reports from all sectors, mostly in the business process outsourcing (BPO) establishments.
Government intervention
If not immediately addressed by the government, Tanjusay pointed out the policy could lead to an surge in labor disputes.
“This is an additional cause of friction between employees and management, which would put more strain on employee-employer relationship,” Tanjusay said.
The ALU said it already relayed its request to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to stop the said policy.
“Before it becomes a norm, the Department of Labor and Employment must respond quickly to these surfacing abuses and provide immediate protection measure by outlawing these unfair and unjust treatment of employees,” Seno said.
Tanjusay said DOLE promised to issue a labor advisory on the matter.
This was confirmed by Labor Undersecretary Benjo M. Benavidez to BusinessMirror in a Viber message.
“We have a draft [of this advisory], but we are still getting comment from [the affected] sector on this,” Benavidez said.
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