Labour Research May 2021

Health & Safety Matters

Mandatory jabs slammed

Forcing care workers to get the COVID-19 jab will be counterproductive and may be discriminatory, unions who organise in the care sector are warning.

Last month, the government launched a consultation on proposals to make COVID-19 vaccination a condition of work for people deployed in care homes with older adult residents.

The Unite union pointed out that the voluntary route has been hugely successful. The union’s national health and safety advisor, Rob Miguel, said any blanket policy to make vaccination compulsory will be discriminatory in many cases.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said mandatory jabs are the wrong approach and could backfire badly, with some staff deciding to “simply up and go”.

Mandating vaccination is “an incredibly bad idea”, said the GMB. It added that the measure would leave carers with health or pregnancy issues outside the scope of the scheme and would “create profound issues around civil liberties”.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/making-vaccination-a-condition-of-deployment-in-older-adult-care-homes