Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados TODAY Inc.
I am not sure what to make of the proposed consultations to engage Barbadians in the dialogue surrounding the contentious issue of mandatory vaccinations and testing.
From all that has been said before and the tone and contributions of the recent press conference it appears as though a decision has already been made, however, we await the outcome.
In the weeks of dicussion which the Prime Minister outlined will go on until the end of August, I would strongly suggest that both her and the private sector appeal to businesses to cease and desist from sending out those memos which are “threatening” to workers.
Those memos which demand workers to take the vaccine or pay for testing must stop, especially if one is to believe the consultations will be fair and legitimate. There should be no such actions taken against workers until the talks have ended and a clear path forward is articulated.
It was also clear that the General Secretary of the Barbados Worker’s Union angled her contribution towards the communication campaign to be rolled out. I wish to stress that any campaign must be comprehensive to allow persons to make an informed decision.
Furthermore, the Government loses the trust of the public when health and ministry officials appear to give different statistics as was the case recently on reporting positive cases among the vaccinated population. The vaccination campaign should not be a pro vaccine campaign but should be focused on sharing the pros, cons and in between of taking the vaccine so that persons feel comfortable with their decision.
Let’s hope the suggested process is not a gimmick to make Bajans feel that they are being consulted when in truth in fact, decisions have already been made.
Ryan Walters
