COVID-19: Bonfire of the Carers.

 Apparently in November, care staff that refuse to have the covid vaccine will be sacked. It will be a requirement for health and care workers to be double-jabbed in order to continue working.

In a flagrant abuse of worker's rights, the NHS and the government are mandating workers be forced into medical procedures they don't want or need.

It will be interesting what lawsuits come out of this. I know the vaccine providers are indemnified against any action by the government, but are the employers? For instance if an employee takes the vaccine under protest in order to keep their job and suffer side effects and dies. Are  the employer liable? Because had the employee been left alone they would not be dead. Someone has to be accountable and liable in the event something that an employee is forced to do has a negative impact on them.

Also are employers liable for breach of contract, given that contracts do not have a clause in them regarding mandatory medical procedures.

This is yet another ill-thought-out plan by the government, without any thought for the repercussions.

By the governments own admission, the vaccine doesn't stop you getting covid, nor does it stop you passing it on. It reduces the transmissibility somewhat, but doesn't stop it completely. 

The only reason for taking the vaccine is to reduce the effects if you get it yourself. 

Also, by now all the residents of care homes, being in at-risk groups should have had their own vaccinations. So where exactly is the risk from having an un-jabbed worker in a care setting? The only risk is to the worker themselves because they have a higher risk of dying if they catch covid.

What it all boils down to is once again the government are willing to throw the care sector onto the bonfire and let it burn. Workers will just leave, given you can earn more at a supermarket and there's no mandatory vaccination required there. I look forward to the government apologising for the care sector's inability to provide adequate care due to lack of staff. Also for the millions of pounds of compensation that will have to be paid out by employers at tribunals.

I do wonder where the Labour party stands on the abuse of worker's rights. The same for the unions. Why are they not up in arms regarding forcing workers into having a medical procedure in order to keep their job? Especially when it's not in any contract of employment. It's also not in any Health and Safety legislation. So exactly under what legislation are employers able to mandate this, how will they immunise themselves from claims for unfair dismissal?

But where will it stop? If the gate is opened, what's to stop employers demanding cosmetic surgery for instance? Mandatory boob jobs for barmaids? Forced facelifts for the over-50s? Webbed feet and hands for divers? I may sound facetious, but just where is the line going to be drawn? The care sector is not the military, and I understand in the military certain injections and vaccinations are necessary in order to keep the solider fighting fit.

But care workers have not signed up to be used any way the employer seems fit. They are not chattels, they are not serfs.  

But that's how the government appears to be treating them and the wider population.

One of the things I would advise any care employee that is being forced down this route to request in writing a change to their contract of employment, specifically with a clause that makes the employer liable for compensation if the employee suffers any ill-effects from the vaccination forced on the employee at their request. The compensation should for instance be similar to a life-assurance policy, in order to adequately compensate the carer's family should the worst happen. Also the care worker should demand monetary compensation for going through the procedure against their will. Pick the figure you are comfortable with and see if your employer is willing to pay it. Any refusal to agree these new terms and the termination of the employee in breach of contract of employment will result in legal action. 

After all, it's your body and you should be compensated. Just as if you had an accident at work. 

Corona Virus COVID-19 Government Not Helping.

I saw the other day that if Coronoa virus does spread and people suspect they have the virus, then they should self-isolate and stay indoors and reduce or eliminate contact with others.

For working people the problem is many companies don't pay sick pay. So what do you do?

Do you self-isolate for two weeks and lose two week's pay (and possibly end up not paying rent or mortgage for that month), or do you carry on working and risk spreading the virus to your work mates and their families?

If the risk to health is so grave, the Government really need to step in and underwrite the lost wages of those genuinely suffering from Corona infection. Better to state now that Government will pay people to stay at home and will compensate companies so that they can pay the wages of workers having to isolate themselves.

Spurious claims can quickly be eliminated because the test can be done quickly on anyone presenting flu-like symptoms. Basically you get flu, phone 111, they send out a team to test and then 2 or 3 days later you get the nod to crack on and go back to work or to self-isolate.

The bad news is you've probably infected a bunch of close contacts already, but at least the spread is contained and not increased.

But I know if people know they will lose pay, they will continue to go into work.

This is especially true of retail workers who are amongst the lowest paid and worst protected regarding sick pay. They will be amongst the workers only just staying above water and paying the monthly bills. They will not have any savings able to carry them over a month or two of isolation. The infection rating of a COVID-19 carrying shop worker is way over the standard. They have the ability to infect a huge number of people.

Shop workers may be the worst infection risk, but then Nurses and Care workers have regular contact with very poorly people: the people most at risk of dying from a COVID-19 infection. And care workers, again are not paid sick pay and are low paid, sop they are also likely to work from month-to-month and just about pay the bills.

As I stated earlier, IF this outbreak and it's repercussions in terms of infection and mortality, then the Government need to be proactive and make sure those infected people stay away from the rest of us.

Better a Government support scheme than the images coming out of China of people being dragged kicking and screaming to plague wards.