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TimesLIVE reports that according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, workers have a right to decline Covid-19 vaccinations on medical and constitutional grounds, but employers equally have a right to protect employees and ensure efficient operation of their businesses.
The implementation of mandatory vaccinations must be based on mutual respect and constitutional rights in what Ramaphosa described in the National Assembly on Friday as “quite a delicate balance that needs to be struck”. This was in response to ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe‚ who wanted to know what measures government was planning to put in place to protect workers from being forced to be vaccinated by their employers. The president said: “No-one should be forced to be vaccinated. Instead we need to use the available scientific evidence to encourage people to be vaccinated to protect themselves and the people around them. At the same time‚ our occupational‚ health and safety laws require that we ensure a safe working environment. This situation poses challenges for employers who want to keep their workers safe from Covid-19‚ while respecting the rights of those who don’t want to be vaccinated.” Ramaphosa said employers needed to determine the category of employers to be vaccinated‚ taking into account vulnerabilities due to age and comorbidities. “Employees may refuse vaccination on medical or constitutional grounds. In such instances‚ the employer should counsel the employee‚ and if requested‚ allow them to seek guidance from a health and safety representative‚ trade union official and a health practitioner. If necessary‚ steps should be taken to responsibly accommodate the employee in a position that does not require the employee to be vaccinated. It could range from either the employee continues to work from home‚ without being in contact other employees or customers/clients‚ or work from a place where they don’t interact with others and spread the virus‚” Ramaphosa explained.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nonkululeko Njilo at BusinessLive
- Read too, Employees can refuse vaccination, but rights have limits, says Ramaphosa, at Fin24
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page