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The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) on Monday urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on look into the “no vaccine, no salary” policy being implemented by several company in Metro Manila.

ALU-TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay, in a media interview, said such policy is illegal and should bring the matter before the DOLE for proper action.

Tanjusay said a group of employees of a company in the National Capital Region (NCR) informed them about the policy. He then urged DOLE to issue a labor advisory warning employers against implementing such policy.

“Bawal na bawal iyan, may kaukulang fines ‘yan doon sa employer na napatunayan na gumagawa nito [that’s illegal and the employer could be fined if found guilty],” he said.

“Sa tingin namin hindi lang isang insidente ito [We don’t think this is an isolated case],” he said.

Meanwhile, in an media briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire reiterated that being vaccinated against COVID-19 is not a requirement for workers to receive their salaries.

“Hindi po dapat maging basis ang pagbabakuna para mabigyan ng sweldo ‘yung mga nagbigay na ng trabaho para po dito sa kanilang mga work [Vaccination should not be a basis for giving workers their salaries],” Vergeire said.

“Unang-una, wala po tayong batas pa na nagsasaad na kailangan mandatory ‘yung pagbabakuna [We still don’t have a law on mandatory vaccination]. And that was verbalized by the Department of Justice,” she added.

She stressed that the government only aims to encourage the public to get vaccinated by giving them incentives

Vergeire also deferred to DOLE to address the issue.