Zimbabwe Unions Take Employers to Court for Compelling Workers to Receive Covid-19 Vaccine

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 07:55 am

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has taken the government and six companies to court for asking thousands of workers to get vaccinated with one of the Covid-19 vaccines else be prepared to get sacked. The ZCTU, which is an amalgamation of 35 labor unions in the African country, is representing 189,000 workers who have been ordered by their employers to get vaccinated. ZCTU has argued that by forcing this order the companies are “taking the law into their own hands”.

The court application has been addressed to the six companies along with attorney general Prince Machaya and minister for labor Paul Mavima. ZCTU has said, “Each person having fully considered the implications and effects of vaccination is expected to make a personal decision.” The union has placed an argument that with research around Covid-19 vaccines remaining in-process and inconclusive, “no person may be compelled to get vaccinated”.

Related Posts

The companies that have reportedly ordered their workers to stop coming for duty until they are vaccinated include state-owned Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) and telecoms group TelOne, insurer Zimnat, fertilizer producer Windmill, agricultural group Seed Co and the Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences.

TelOne has gone one step further by threatening to cut Covid risk allowances of employees. “On 21 July 2021, TelOne issued a staff notice directing unvaccinated employees to go on immediate leave. The company also informed such employees of the withdrawal of the Covid-19 risk allowance,” reads the court application, dated 13 August.

Attorney General Machaya said that the claims by ZCTU are ill-informed and that none of the ministers and himself should have been cited in the court filing. “It is the duty of the cabinet and not that of this honorable court to compel the minister to enact legislation as well as subsidiary legislation. At the same time, both the respondents have no obligation to issue statutory instruments related to public health issues. This is the primary responsibility of the minister of health and childcare,” he said.

Albert Echetah

Recent Posts

Africa and GCC Trade Doubles to $121 Billion

Trade between African and GCC countries stands at $ 121 billion in 2023, double of what it was in 2016.…

December 21, 2024

Families in Mayotte rebuilding their homes complain of lack of help

Family members struggling after one week after  of Cyclone Chido ripped through the French island territory of Mayotte expressed helplessness…

December 21, 2024

Ethiopian PM Inaugurates UAE-Funded Orphanage in Oromia

The United Arab Emirates has launched its orphanage project in Ethiopia's Oromia region on the orders of President Sheikh Mohamed…

December 21, 2024

A Rising Femicide Threat, Kenya’s Call to End Gender Based Violence

In just four months, 100 women have been killed, the majority by males they knew including spouses. Prime Cabinet Secretary…

December 20, 2024

Actor C Confion has passed away

The Ghanaian entertainment industry is in deep mourning following the sudden death of Bright Owusu, better known as C Confion.…

December 20, 2024

South Africa: 512 Accident Deaths and 941 Arrested for Drunk Driving Just on December Month

Since the beginning of December more than five hundred people have lost their lives on the nation's highways. Barbara Creecy,…

December 19, 2024

This website uses cookies.