Trade unionist, Lambert Brown, told Freedom Come Rain that he is opposed to any demand for a COVID-free certification at this time since there is no widespread outbreak of the virus.
“I can’t see that because you are foreign-owned, you can break the laws of Jamaica. There is no law in Jamaica that demands that a worker needs a COVID-free certification,” he said.
Brown is not aware of any recent cases of mandatory vaccination, but he advised workers who are being pressured to take the jab to secure their jobs to make a report to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security or solicit the assistance of an industrial relations expert. If they are dismissed, it’s a matter that could also go before the Industrial Dispute Tribunal for a ruling. He noted on the other hand that a job seeker would have no bargaining power since they are not yet an employee.
According to an article carried in the New York Post last month, presidential candidate Kamala Harris insisted that employees of her 2024 presidential campaign be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. All postings on Harris’ campaign website indicated the rule also applied to all jobs offered by the Democratic National Committee.
“Harris for President requires all employees to be ‘up to date’ on COVID-19 vaccination status as prescribed by the CDC as a condition of employment unless otherwise prohibited by applicable law,” read the fine print of a job posting for a senior designer in Wilmington, Del.
Those wanting to bypass this requirement were urged to plead their case to human resources.
“Although Harris claims to support science, the requirement is anti-science. It suggests the campaign is still catering to the most irrational voices out there,” Dr. Vinayak Prasad, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California San Francisco told the New York Post.
Harris has since suffered a major defeat in her bid to become the next US president. She was soundly beaten in the November 5 election by the Republican candidate Donald Trump, who is very sceptical about vaccines and was very critical of efforts to get people to take the jab.