Menu Close

MTN set to enforce mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for employees

*MTN Group, Africa’s biggest telecoms service provider, says it will be enforcing compulsory COVID-19 vaccinations for its employees with effect from January 2022, and threatens to sack any staff without ‘a valid reason for not getting vaccinated’

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

As the latest company in South Africa to issue a vaccine mandate, the MTN Group, Africa’s biggest telecoms service provider, has said it will be enforcing compulsory Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations for its employees effective from January 2022.

ConsumerConnect reports the mobile network provider disclosed this development in a statement issued Monday, December 6, 2021, just as several South African companies have opted for mandatory vaccination in order to ensure a safe workplace environment, but that has also opened them up to potential legal challenges.

COVID-19 vaccination

MTN’s latest move follows South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement November 2021, that the government was considering making COVID-19 shots compulsory for citizens to access certain places and activities in the Southern African country, agency report noted.

It was learnt that a number of business lobby groups have supported the move on vaccine mandate.

However, one of such interest groups, Business Unity South Africa, said without specifying that it was expecting legal challenges and was seeking a legal opinion to help companies in enforcing the vaccine mandates in the country.

South Africa’s biggest trade union COSATU also November said that its position regarding compulsory vaccination has “evolved”, and it now supports such mandates as a means of curbing the pandemic, report stated.

Currently, South Africa is experiencing a surge in Coronavirus infections driven by the new variant Omicron, reportedly first detected in the country.

Subsequently, this development is said to have ignited a widespread need of vaccinations in the country particular, and the African continent where the pace of inoculation has been one of the slowest in the world.

The telecoms giant further stated: “MTN Group’s new vaccine policy is a measure to meet MTN’s legal obligations in regard to providing a safe workplace.

“It (vaccine mandate) also recognises the right of employees to apply to be exempted from the policy and/or refuse vaccination on certain clearly defined grounds.”

MTN Group, however, added that any staff who do not have a valid reason for not getting vaccinated will be laid off.

Kindly Share This Story

 

 

Kindly share this story