THE no jab, no job policy for public servants in the country remains as it is despite the lift of the domestic Covid-19 restriction in the country.
This was the response from Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr. Jimmie Rodgers to a question raised on what will happen on those self-terminated public servants who refused to get the Covid-19 vaccine, said the no jab, no job policy remain stand.
“Restriction and employment are two different things, the fact that the restriction is lifted, this does not mean the government Covid-19 employment policy will also change, the policy remains as it is,” he said.
As stated by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in one of his nationwide address last year, said liberty does not mean you have the freedom to do whatever you want wherever you want.
“It means whatever you do to please yourself must not put others in harm’s way so you must respect their liberties as well. That is our moral, ethical, spiritual, and civic responsibility,” he said.
Prime Minister Sogavare said the Government respects individuals’ rights and religious beliefs.
However, he said these beliefs must not jeopardize the rights of others, nor put them at risk.
“In this regard, the Government policy starts with those that it employs through its two tiers of government – the central and provincial governments and those employed in government institutions and State-owner enterprises,” he said.
He strongly emphasized that it is the Government’s policy that every government employee and members of their families, must be protected from COVID-19.
He said the best way to achieve this is to get fully vaccinated.
“It is therefore a requirement that every employee of the government at the central and provincial levels and employees of government institutions and SOEs to get vaccinated.
Prime Minister Sogavare adds that if they choose not to be vaccinated, they will have self-terminated their employment.
He said the choice by public servants to get vaccinated or not belongs to individual public servants.
The Prime Minister said the choice on who the Government continues to employ under its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy rests with the government.
“It is our ethical and moral duty to ensure we can protect the people of this country,” Prime Minister Sogavare said.
By FOLLET JOHN
Newsroom, Honiara
