GPSU condemns forced vaccination

THE GUYANA PUBLIC SERVICE UNION (GPSU) HAS CONDEMNED ENFORCED
VACCINATION demanded by the Guyanese government to help fight the spread of the deadly
COVID-19 in the Republic. The workers representative in a statement said the compulsory jab
announced by the Irfaan Ali administration is discriminatory.
. “This arbitrary approach is an encroachment on Citizens’ rights of choice and is viewed by the
Union as an abuse of power. The GPSU maintains that should the protocols stated hereunder be
promoted they would contribute significantly to reduction of the rate of infections and harnessing
the spread of the covid -19 virus,” the GPSU said.
Vaccine hesitancy is a major local problem stymieing the health ministry’s inoculation drive and
helping push the spread of the highly contagious virus first detected in Wuhan, China at the end
of 2019. Since then, some 4.2 million persons have died globally and 557 in Guyana forcing the
government to announce the controversial measure.
“GPSU also maintains the view that everyone should be encouraged to vaccinate BUT should
only do so voluntarily and in keeping with the approved World Health Organization vaccination
standards. It must be noted that all vaccines currently available have only been granted
Emergency approval,” the Union argues.
“The Ministers of Labour and Health are on record as saying that adult vaccination is not
mandatory. The actions now taken by the Government of Guyana is a direct contradiction of the
statements made by these two gentlemen. Also, important to note is an article dated 11 th  March
2021 entitled “Outdated public health legislation to ‘recover’ amid pandemic’ the Minister of
Legal Affairs, (Anil Nandlall) was quoted as saying, “Guyana’s Public Health infrastructure is
radically different from what it was in 1934, and the Covid -19 pandemic has shown graphically
how outdated and almost dysfunctional the law is. Yet, the Government is using this outdated
and dysfunctional law to craft and enforce the COVID – 19 Emergency measures,” the union
complained.
The body said it will continue fiercely defending workers’ rights especially those who refuse the
COVID-19 jab as well as those who wish to keep their medical information confidential as
enshrined in the Medical Practitioners’ Act NO. 16 of 1991 and the health ministry’s 2008
Patient Charter.

GPSU is outraged that government ministries and agencies have refused unvaccinated
employees, entry to their workplaces and treating their absence as no-pay leave.
“Patients and their relatives were also denied access to public health care at the public health
institutions. The GPSU strongly condemns the illegal actions enforced the workers and the
pensioners. This Gazette Order enforce should be fiercely denounced forthwith by both ‘vaxers’
and non-vaxers’ alike, as it goes against the individual’s freedom of choice, which freedom is a
right enshrined in the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana,” the release stressed.
“The GPSU also calls for solidarity in this just fight for workers’ rights from the
following agencies including, but not limited to, Trade Unions, Women and Gender Affairs
Committee, Rights of the Child and Human Rights Commission.  Failure to act now would result
in serious and irreparable psychology, and socio-economic damage to individuals, their families
and the work environment,” the GPSU release said.
“The GPSU once again strongly condemns these heinous actions taken by the Government
of Guyana who purports to be a caring Government,” the union statement said.