The Union of Professional Educators was shocked to find out that certain independent schools in Malta have imposed upon their educators to get the COVID-19 vaccine if they wanted to have a job to return to in the next scholastic year. It was also reported that whereas in some schools exemptions were made for educators who could not take the vaccine for health reasons, in other institutions such exemptions were not even being contemplated.

It is, to say the least, absurd that any educational institution should feel it has the right to force educators into taking a vaccine, which to date has not been declared as being mandatory by any medical institution, by threatening them that non-compliance would result in a loss of employment.

The UPE cannot condone any tyrannical behaviour in which employers take the law into their own hands, go against the educators’ right to choose whether or not to be vaccinated, and have no qualms at making their employees redundant if these refuse to relinquish their right to choose. Little do they seem to care that those same people who until recently have kept their school businesses alive, and thriving, might be forced onto the brink of poverty, unless they acquiesce to doing something which is not mandated by law, and which goes against human rights. This attitude coming from the employers becomes even more revolting when an educator who is vulnerable and cannot take the vaccine for medical reasons, is told to either get jabbed or lose the source of income which secures their livelihood. 

The UPE will not just sit this injustice out, and should any more of our members be subjected to such dictatorial practices at their place of work, they are not to hesitate to contact the union on 21221252/6/8, or via email at info@upe.mt.