PR – Dear Members,
We are pleased to inform of a virtual meeting held today Friday September 3, 2021, with the Prime Minister, Minister of Labour, senior officials from the Ministry of Health and the various Trade Union Leaders.
The meeting was centered on the fight to defeat the spread of COVID–19 in our Tri–Island state and measures that can be implemented to slow and eventually eradicate this dreaded pandemic.
A central theme was vaccination and the hesitancy amongst our workers and citizens to take it. Medical experts have cited the use of Covid–19 vaccines as an important tool in defeating the virus. GPWU pledged its support in increasing its education thrust on vaccination so as to empower our membership and workers in general to make an informed and confident decision in this regard.
Members, we reiterated a clear position, that we are firmly against mandatory vaccination as a fundamental principle. However, we acknowledge that to defeat COVID, we must use all weapons available to us and that includes, following the science, adhering social distancing protocols at all time, avoidance of crowds and regular sanitizing.
In furtherance to our appeal for health and safety re our Release dated Thursday September 2, 2021, we re–iterate our position that workers should not endanger themselves and strongly urge that where you have been directly exposed to positive COVID 19 cases in the workplace, and where your health and safety has been compromised, to immediately remove yourselves, and quarantine according to WHO/PAHO and Ministry of Health Grenada guidelines. The legal right to remove yourselves is enshrined in the Grenada Labor Code under the Employment Act section 74 (2) (E). We also urge that those of you who have been directly exposed–to please try and make arrangements for testing. We have committed to continue to working with the authorities through a smaller team to plan, strategize and action desired outcomes in the protection of lives. The Grenada Public Workers‘ Union will continue to inform you of developments in the coming days and weeks, all in an effort to keep you safe. IN UNITY SUCCESS IS ASSURED.
