TUCP Partylist Rep. Raymond Mendoza is vigorously pushing the House committee on labor and employment to work overtime and finish the letter recommending the IATF to rescind the implementation of its resolutions 148-B & and 149 because they are causing confusion between workers and their employees and prevent workers from going to work and earn a living.
According to Mendoza, the policy is also creating widespread demoralization among workforce and creating plant-level discord between employers and employees in light of IATF resolution that requires business owners to require their employees to have themselves vaccinated otherwise they have to undergo antigen or swab testing at least once every 15 days which they have to shoulder.
This is unfair and too burdensome for workers particularly those minimum wage earners and daily-paid.
Since Dec. 1 many unvaxxed workers were prevented from entering their workplaces and not allowed to work. Some were asked to present vaccination cards before they were allowed in.
Others were asked to proceed to take the on-the-spot antigen test with prices ranging from P300 to P500 and swab testing ranging from P2,000 to P8,000.
Mendoza said the TUCP also received online complaints against the IATF resolutions from confused, disgruntled and displeased workers seeking our advice and possible remedies amid the tension and confusion between employees and employers that the IATF ‘no vax, no work’ policy caused.
Upon suspension, the group urged the IATF to modify the subject resolutions with inputs from the workers’ sector and business owners before re-implementing the policy.
The TUCP is also calling on the IATF not to pass on workers the burden of the cost of testing but rather make the government cover its cost. Testing must also be made readily accessible for workers.
The Committee will meet again on Tuesday Dec. 7 and it is hoped the letter recommendation is done for transmittal within the same day.
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