COSATU: 40 STANDARD BANK STAFF SACKED FOR REFUSING COVID JAB MUST BE REINSTATED

This comes after the bank scrapped its mandatory vaccination policy after assessing the state of the pandemic as well as regulations to manage the virus.

Standard Bank offices in Johannesburg. Image: EWN

Nkosikhona Duma

JOHANNESBURG - Trade union federation Cosatu on Tuesday called for the immediate reinstatement of 40 Standard Bank workers who were fired for refusing to vaccinate against COVID-19.

This comes after the bank scrapped its mandatory vaccination policy after assessing the state of the pandemic as well as regulations to manage the virus.

The CCMA has recently ruled that it is unconstitutional to force workers to vaccinate.

Cosatu affiliate, the South African Society of Bank Officials, has criticised the bank’s now-scrapped policy, saying it was better to encourage vaccinations as opposed to imposing them.

Cosatu said enforcing vaccination exacerbated suspicions surrounding COVID-19.

Cosatu’s Sizwe Pamla said: “Our call now is that all employers who still continue to victimise workers on the issue of vaccination, they should understand that the national state of disaster is no longer in place.”

The federation has encouraged all workers who were fired to lodge grievances with the CCMA and approach their labour unions and court.