BL Premium reports that an international survey has found widespread support for workplace Covid-19 vaccine mandates among SA workers, vindicating companies that have issued such directives.

In a report released on Thursday, the World Economic Forum (WEF) said a poll conducted by Ipsos found that 72% of local workers agreed that they and their colleagues should be fully vaccinated. The surveys were conducted online between 22 October and 5 November, before the emergence of the Omicron variant. Almost 14,500 workers were surveyed across 33 countries and the SA result was broadly in line with global findings. The finding comes as the government, business and education institutions ponder whether to make vaccination compulsory. The survey also found that 69% of employed South Africans believed that people in their workplaces should undergo frequent Covid-19 testing if they were not vaccinated against the virus and 91% believed that masks should be worn in common areas and when close to other people. Support for compulsory workplace vaccination was highest among Indian adults (65%), followed by black African adults (56%), coloured adults (49%) and was lowest among white adults at 32%. Having previously indicated that it might support restricting access to certain places to those who have vaccinations and having accepted that getting as many people as possible jabbed was the best way to open the economy more fully, the government has been giving mixed signals. This week, it said it would await the outcome of court action by Business Unity SA to establish the legality of mandates.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)

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