Former govt workers’ question policy approach, as 900+ unvaxed teachers still paid in full
A GROUP of unvaccinated government workers who were ‘self-terminated’ recently, for not getting their jabs have questioned the government on how the No Jab, No Job Policy works.
The former government employees were amongst the 222 Public Officers that decided not to be vaccinated.
A government statement yesterday confirmed that the first 54 are now self-terminated under the Government’s No Jab No Job policy.
“The first 54 officers have been verified and confirmed by their respective human resource managers following the 31 January 2022 deadline.
“Public Service and respective Ministries are undergoing verification for the remaining 168 employees,” it stated.
The Ministry of Public Services said the 222 officers were from 22 different ministries and agencies.
However, the group have questioned the government why the Policy is applied to them and not others.
“This is unfair. We were told that other government workers are still receiving their salaries.
“We just want answers from the government. They need to tell us how the No Jab, No Job Policy works,” the group told Solomon Star yesterday.
The group also questioned why more than 900 teachers in Malaita province are still being paid by the government last week, despite not being fully vaccinated.
This came following a confirmed report, that unvaccinated teachers under the Malaita Education Authority (MEA) are still receiving their full salaries last week.
Speaking exclusively to Solomon Star Auki last week, teachers who were amongst the 900 unvaccinated individual confirmed that they still received their full salaries, despite shared information that their pay will be ceased in February.
“Unvaccinated teachers who amounted to over 900 out of the total 2,437 teachers in Malaita were worried when information regarding the ceasing of their salaries was shared by local media,” one teacher said, while in Auki to withdraw his salary.
Having learned of the teachers’ encounter last week, the group then questioned whether these unvaccinated teachers will be terminated under the Government’s No Jab, No Job Policy or not.
When contacted the Ministry of Public Service, one source that is familiar with the Policy said the Policy is straight forward and that the government will ensure whoever that does not get his or her jabs will be dealt with.
When asked to comment on the case of the 900+ teachers in Malaita, the source referred Solomon Star to his Permanent Secretary to comment.
In an email yesterday, the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Public Service, Nego Sisiolo said for teachers, this paper need to check with their respective authorities whether the No Jab, No Job policy was in place.
“For teachers, you may wish to check with their respective Education Authorities (EAs) who is their employer to clarify and whether or not they have such policy in place for their employees (teachers),” Sisiolo said.
However, the response from the Malaita Education Authority (MEA) Chief Education Officer (CEO) Andy Siarani was different.
Siarani said the power to cease a teacher’s salary is with the ministry and not the MEA.
“The MEA has no power over the No Jab, No Job policy.
“We are only following orders from the ministry,” he told this paper.
With the contradictory responses from both authorities, one can tell that the No Jab, No Job Policy imposed by the government is still misty at this stage.
By FOLLET JOHN
Newsroom, Honiara
