By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Friday 9th April 2021) — Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris sparked a significant public debate on Wednesday 7th April 2021, when, at a ceremony for the receipt of 21,600 additional AstraZeneca vaccine doses at the RLB International Airport, he called on employers to insist that every employee be vaccinated: “We need every employer not just to say but to insist that every employee must be vaccinated. This is where it is going to come — for the protection of your business, for the protection of the peace and the health of those who are vaccinated, employers — including the government — will have to give consideration to that.”
Dr. Harris said his government is prepared to bring legislation to ensure that members of the public act responsibly “because the health and safety of our country must never be compromised.” He said that of the 33,236-person target population, 9,774 citizens and residents had received their first dose — about 30% of the target — in just seven weeks since the programme launched on 22 February. He warned those waiting that they “may end up waiting in vain,” as vaccine supply could not be guaranteed.
Some members of the public questioned the principle of a ‘No Jab, No Job’ policy, arguing that vaccination should be a personal choice. Others felt such a policy may be necessary in the public health interest. Harris pointed to St. Vincent and the Grenadines as having already started compulsory workplace vaccination measures.
The St. Kitts-Nevis Trades and Labour Union — owner of this publication — issued a press release on 9 March 2021 calling for greater attention to cooperation, dialogue and education: “The Union desires that all workers are treated with respect at all times. We consider the reluctance of workers to take the vaccine, at this time, to be an indication of unawareness and wariness on the part of the worker. We contend that where worker hesitation has been identified, it needs to be addressed with protocols of adequate information and not with authoritative insistence.” The Union called for an immediate end to the practice of threatening workers’ rights and livelihoods.