Unvaccinated Workers Encounter Problems At SGU

SGU workers who have not been vaccinated encountered problems entering the compound of the institution today for duty.

And, the Technical and Allied Workers Union (TAWU), the bargaining agent for the employees, is taking up the issue.

In an attempt to resume operations, SGU had stipulated a vaccination mandate, on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, to safeguard the institutional environment.

The University had made an announcement that as of the 15^th of June, the only persons allowed back on the compound…employees, students and/or visitors… must be vaccinated.

Workers who were already employed with the University and were not vaccinated, as of yesterday, were not allowed on the compound today.

This attracted TAWU’s attention, where the President General, Andre Lewis, speaks of engaging the University so as to bring about a resolution.

Employment vaccination mandate has been a debatable issue here.

Employers are off the view that they have to protect their businesses from being affected because of the coronavirus and several of them have mandated that vaccination is a necessary ingredient in this regard.

The TAWU boss believes workers who already do duty with SGU should not be forced to take the vaccine as a condition of employment.

 TAWU President-General and Head of the Trades Union Council, Andre Lewis.

One of the unvaccinated workers who has been on the job for over two decades is disgruntled over the SGU policy. At today’s Post-Cabinet Briefing, Minister of Health, Nikolas Steele, did indicate that the University had sent out announcement earlier that as of the 15^th of June, the only persons allowed back on the compound, employees, students and/or visitors, must be vaccinated.

Steele further applauds the idea of continuous dialogue in the interest of good labour relations between the Union and SGU, as it relates to the subject.

Looking at the Grenada COVID situation and how it has dampened things economically and otherwise, the Health Minister is off the view that the only way to put the pandemic behind us is to get vaccinated.