Fiji’s Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has issued an ultimatum to all workers – including civil servants – to get vaccinated or lose their jobs unless they are medically exempted.
Civil servants who have not been vaccinated will go on leave from next Monday 12 July until they have received their first dose of the vaccine, which should be administered by early next month. They will only return to work if they agree to receive their second dose when it is due by early November.
The only workers who will be excused from receiving the vaccine are those certified by Permanent Secretary for Health Dr James Fong for medical reasons including allergies.
“If they do not adhere to these guidelines, they will be dismissed from work,” Bainimarama said in a national statement this evening.
Private business owners have also been directed to ensure that all of their workers adhere to the same vaccination timeline.
“The management and staff of many businesses in Fiji are already fully vaccinated, which is wonderful. All others in the private sector must follow their lead. In accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act, we are requiring that all employers and employees in the private sector and statutory bodies receive at least one dose of the vaccine by first August 2021. It is simply unfair for anyone to risk the health of their co-workers or their customers or risk undermining business operations because they refuse to get a vaccination that is known to be safe and effective.
“It does not matter if you are the CEO of a company, a sole trader or a salaried employee, you must be vaccinated, to continue working. Or else, that business may shut down, no jab, no job. That is what science tells us is safest. And that is now the policy of the government and enforced through law.”
Fiji PM Voreqe Bainimarama
Extensions to timeframes will be granted for employers and employees located in areas where vaccines are not yet available.
