Draconian action is wrong approach to low level of COVID vaccination, says NDP

Kingstown, St. Vincent and Grenadines: On November 19th 2021, the ULP Government’s COVID vaccine mandate went into effect. The police, teachers, certain public servants and employees of state entities will be required to take the COVID vaccine or lose their employment. The New Democratic Party believes that this draconian action is the wrong approach to the low level of COVID vaccination in SVG. We call for an approach guided by compassion, consideration & practicality, not bullying and coercion.

NDP's further statement:

Firing party workers (or threatening to fire them), many of whom have given numerous years of selfless assistance to our nation because they have not decided to be vaccinated, is harsh and unfair. Throwing people off work and taking away their benefits can only create more hardship and pain in an already difficult situation.

Further, statements by administration officials about replacing police officers, teachers, nurses, and other workers who have years of experience in their jobs with recruits disrespect the service and skill of those affected employees. Instead, their knowledge and skill must be valued, and every effort made to retain those workers in the service. Anyone who is fired or resigns because of the government’s vaccine mandate must be rehired or otherwise compensated without loss of benefits.

Many of our people have received confusing or conflicting information and are genuinely fearful about vaccination. So, government action should be persuasive rather than punitive.

Only through such collaborative endeavours, communication, and trust can we improve our vaccination levels. We call for more effective campaigns to provide information to allay fears and enable people to make informed decisions.

The administration must withdraw its highhanded measures and explore alternatives that involve more significant consultation & engagement with the affected persons and their trade union leaders, and the use of an aggressive information campaign about COVID.

NDP's goal is to bring our people forward along the path to progress, not to divide them and drive them into tremendous economic hardship and unhappiness.