Doug Gaetz
The committee met August 17, 2021, to discuss the upcoming National Health & Safety Conference. Further information will be shared with the locals as it becomes available.
The next meeting of the National Heath & Safety Policy Committee (NHSPC) will be in November 2021. Minutes will be shared when they become available.
Further to the Prime Minister’s announcement in the media in reference to a potential mandatory vaccination policy for public service employees, we have spoken with the employer and for now there is no such policy in place. Discussions will be held with the NHSPC if any changes to the current preventive measures are required. (Please find, as an appendix to this report, a public statement from PSAC National President, Chris Aylward, in response to the Primer Minister’s announcement.)
We continue to hold our weekly discussions with the employer on issues related to Covid-19 in the workplace.
Respectfully submitted,
Doug Gaetz
Chair of the Committee
Appendix
Statement from Chris Aylward, PSAC national president, on mandatory vaccinations in federal workplaces
August 5, 2021
We are following the federal government’s announcement today closely, and we will be in a position to comment on mandatory vaccinations in the workplace once the government puts forward a proposal for specific measures it wants to introduce and details about which workers would be impacted.
Given that many of our members are already being asked to return to federal workplaces, we would urge the government to both provide a clear position as soon as possible, and to ensure that any measures they propose take into consideration our members’ health and safety, their human rights as well as privacy, and the protection of the public. We also expect the government to meaningfully consult with unions before making any decisions that could significantly impact our members.