Galvez: Hiring only applicants vaccinated vs. COVID-19 not discrimination

There is no discrimination if a company will refuse employment to an applicant who have yet to be vaccinated against COVID-19, vaccine czar and National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Wednesday.

Galvez made the remark after the private sector suggested to the Inter-Agency Task Force Against Emerging Infectious Diseases incentives for vaccinated individuals.

These include giving companies the right to hire only those who have been vaccinated. Employees who have yet to be inoculated have been suggested to be tested weekly at their own expense.

“It is the prerogative of companies to hire, train, promote and fire employees,” Galvez said in a text message when asked if allowing companies not to hire unvaccinated people would be among the measures to incentivize vaccination.

On whether it discriminated against those who have yet to get vaccinated, Galvez said, “It is not discrimination but the moral and corporate responsibility of the company to protect its people, clients, consumers and business interest."

"Public interest is higher than personal interest,” Galvez said.

“The principle of recruitment is to get the best among the qualified. The company has the right to choose and reject applications. Why will you choose [someone] that will become a threat to your existence?” he added.

“In the next round of battle, the next round of surge will be the battle of the unvaccinated which will become the state’s liability and weakness in our fight against COVID-19," Galvez said.

"They are the burden that we have to carry on this long battle,” he added.

Galvez said companies having the prerogative to hire or reject an applicant was for “the promotion of public safety and common good.”

“Why hire people who do not accept moral responsibility with the company?” Galvez said.

“Private sector has its own rules.  I have been in the recruitment for five years, good moral character and obedience are one of our mandatory requirements. If the applicant does not follow rules, he or she will be automatically disqualified,” he added.

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion denied claims that the private sector was implementing a “no vaccine, no salary” policy.

It was Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) spokesperson Alan Tanjusay who bared about the said policy as a group of employees of a company in Metro Manila informed the labor group about it.

Concepcion, however, said his group recommended that employees of high-risk and labor-intensive business establishments should be fully vaccinated to prevent the unvaccinated ones from getting severe infection from COVID 19.

The Duterte adviser also said that employers could not use their employees’ vaccination status as an excuse not to pay their employees for services rendered.

“Employers should not use vaccination status as a qualifier whether the employee will get his or her salary. All employees should be paid for their work and service. No ifs and buts,” Concepcion said. -NB, GMA News