Most workers in sanitation sector not vaccinated yet, says MTUC

 

MTUC said although waste management workers have been categorised as ‘essential’, they have so far been neglected in the vaccination programme.

PETALING JAYA: The majority of workers in the sanitation sector are still waiting to be given their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC).

MTUC secretary-general Kamarul Baharin Mansor said this was reported by the waste management service workers’ union, with many employees stressed out and worried over the possibility of getting infected while at work.

In a statement, he questioned why Putrajaya was late in vaccinating these workers when it had categorised them as essential since last year and they had been working non-stop since the first movement control order.

“When it comes to prioritising vaccinations and allowances for frontliners, these sanitation workers are exempted from the list. It has made the sanitation service appear like a second-class sector, unacknowledged by the government.

“MTUC has also been informed that cleaners in schools have yet to be vaccinated. If schools reopen on Sept 1, will these cleaners cause an outbreak in schools?”

Kamarul also said a contract doctor in an emergency department had reported to MTUC that infections among factory workers were high, with some employees forced to work even after testing positive, causing an outbreak.

He said the recovery of the economy by reopening the manufacturing sector must not come at the expense of workers’ health and safety, urging more stringent enforcement and monitoring of SOPs’ compliance in factories. - FMT