Civil servants should set an example and get jabbed to keep their job — FPSA

The Fiji Public Service Association says it stands with the government on its no jab, no job policy for civil servants which comes into effect from today.

General Secretary Rajeshwar Singh says like the government, they want every civil servant to be vaccinated.

He says he knows people are raising issues about the constitutional right to not get vaccinated but that has to be challenged in court.

Singh says he does not know who is going to challenge that in court.

He stresses that civil servants should set an example and go and get their jab so they can keep their job.

It has been made clear by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama that civil servants who have not received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine must go on leave from today and they cannot come back to work until they receive at least the first dose of the vaccine.

Bainimarama says in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act, they are also requiring that all employers and employees in the private sector and statutory bodies receive at least one dose of the vaccine by 1st August 2021.

For civil servants, that must be done by 15th August 2021, after which they may return to work so long as they go on to be fully vaccinated by 1st November 2021.

Bainimarama says if the civil servants do not adhere to these guidelines they will be dismissed from work.

The Prime Minister further says under the Fijian Constitution, guidelines can be issued by Government to which all civil servants must adhere.