HONTIVEROS WANTS RECALL OF IATF RESOLUTION MANDATING VACCINATION FOR ONSITE WORKERS

Senator Risa Hontiveros has urged the recall of the resolutions issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) directing mandatory vaccination in workplaces, saying that they are not only unacceptable but violative of our laws.

"Malinaw sa ating labor laws na iligal na i-hold ang sweldo ng sinumang empleyado nang walang pahintulot. Hindi ito dapat payagan dahil isang araw lang na maantala ang sahod ng manggagawa ay katumbas na ng gutom ng buong pamilya," she said.

The IATF has released two resolutions, No. 148-B and 149, stating that in areas where vaccine supplies are sufficient, establishment and employers in the public and private sector must require their on-site employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

IATF Reso. No. 148-B further provides that workers who are still unvaccinated may not be terminated but will be required to undergo RT-PCR tests regularly at their own expense for purposes of on-site work.

"Hindi tamang ipasagot pa sa kanila ang COVID-19 tests kung di pa sila bakunado gayong hindi na mapagkasya ang kakarampot na sweldo. Dapat pagtutulung-tulungan ng gobyerno, employers at employee associations na maengganyo silang magpabakuna sa halip na parusahan," she said.

Hontiveros also said that the resolutions were not in consonance with the Department of Labor and Employment's Advisory No. 03 Series of 2021 which expressly states that 'no vaccine, no work policy shall not be allowed, and that there should be no discrimination or termination for employees who refuse or fail to be vaccinated and instead must be encouraged by their employers to do the same.

"IATF's resolution defies the DOLE Advisory on the no vaccine, no work policy. Bago magkaroon ng ganitong resolusyon ay maiging makailang beses na pag-isipan, magkaroon ng konsultasyon sa mga apektadong sektor para makapagbalangkas ng mga polisiyang papabor sa mas nakararami, lalo na sa mga manggagawa," she said.

"Sa dulo nito, dapat kapakanan at kaligtasan ng manggagawa ang isaaalang-alang, pero hindi sila dapat pwersahin o pagbantaan na hindi papapasukin o pasuswelduhin lalo pa't ngayon lang sila nakakabawi sa hagupit ng resesyon," Hontiveros concluded.