BPOs eye 70% vax target by year end
Published:Thursday | October 7, 2021 | 12:10 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
While the global services sector is pushing to have at least 70 per cent of its 44,000-strong workforce inoculated against SARS-CoV-2 by the end of the year, a number of private-sector bodies are calling on the Government to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory.
Yesterday, Gloria Henry, president of the Global Services Association of Jamaica (GSAJ), told The Gleaner that while most of its members are not in support of mandatory vaccination, they are making efforts to get the majority of their staff vaccinated within the next three months.
The Government had set a target of having at least 65 per cent of the island’s population inoculated by the end of March 2022.
“Our members have not voted towards a mandatory vaccination programme. We had a meeting, we took a vote, and over 50 per cent of the members did not subscribe to a mandatory vaccine programme,” explained Henry. “They are, at the moment, working within the ambit of what is nationally put forward by the Government. There is no national mandate, and there is no sector mandate. Each company is going to make their decisions based on what they think is best for their workers.”
Following The Gleaner’s interview with Henry, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC), and the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) released a joint statement calling for mandatory vaccination.
Noting that some 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccines are currently available, the business umbrella groups called for more private-sector entities to establish policies that require employees to get vaccinated.
“With less than 10 per cent of the population fully vaccinated almost two years into the pandemic, Jamaica is being left behind with achieving population immunity and is putting our recovery at risk. The social and economic impact will be devastating, and the ripple effects will continue for years to come,” the statement read.
“We are of the view that the national problem of the low vaccination rate requires more far-reaching measures,” it added, urging the Government to introduce incremental requirements for vaccination to protect the public under the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA).
“The general recommendation is for employees to be taken through a vaccine-awareness programme and given an opportunity to take the vaccine, which is now widely available. After a period of engagement and education, the employer should reassess any risk which may still exist and ensure mitigating steps are taken ... . This could include requesting that a COVID test is done periodically,” the business groups stated.
As it relates to the leadership of the global services sector, Henry said that between 65 and 80 per cent of the managers are vaccinated, but the numbers are much lower at the agent level largely because the younger people are desirous of taking the Pfizer vaccine, which is not readily available at this time.