‘No vax, no ride’ policy on workers discriminatory – labor leader

A labor rights leader criticized the Department of Transportation’s policy prohibiting workers from riding public vehicles if not vaccinated against COVID-19.

According to the senatorial aspirant and Kilusang Mayo Uno chairperson Elmer Labog, the agency’s “no vaccination, no ride” policy is “repressive” and “discriminatory.”

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“‘Yun po ang panindigan namin na dapat huwag takdaan ng deadline ang mga manggagawa kasi maraming dahilan kung bakit hindi pa sila nakapag-avail ng vaccination til this time,” he said in an interview with TeleRadyo on Thursday.

“Ang bottomline niyan ay dapat igalang ang kanilang freedom of choice kung bakit ayaw nilang mag-avail ng vaccination,” he added.

According to the DOTr, partially vaccinated and unvaccinated workers have only 30 days to board public transport in Metro Manila.

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If they are still not vaccinated after February 25, they will no longer be able to use public transportation to and from Metro Manila.

According to  Undersecretary for Administrative Service and official representative to the Inter-Agency Task Force Artemio Tuazon Jr., the 30-day should urge workers to complete their  doses.

“We are giving our workers the time to get themselves vaccinated. This joint decision is  meant to support the vaccination drive of the entire government,” Tuazon said.

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‘No vax, no ride’ policy on workers discriminatory – labor leader

Also read: Galvez: Vaccination for ages 5-11 on Feb. 4 continues

“We want our workers to get fully vaccinated, especially now that there is no longer a shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, and there is a threat of highly transmissible variants of the virus,” he added.

The policy does not include individuals with medical conditions and those coming out for essential goods and services.

Labog considers this policy as a lockdown and coercion of COVID-19 vaccination.

He said many workers do not have private vehicles.

Labog added that, based on their group’s data, there are 7.6 million out of work and underemployed or insufficient income even though there are jobs in the Philippines due to the pandemic.

“Tama na ang lockdown. Natikman na natin ‘yan ng 2 taon. Walang direksiyon, walang nangyari sa ating buhay,” he said.

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