The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) have put its support behind students protesting against mandatory vaccination at the University of the Free State.
This after the students took to the streets in protestation of the University’s vaccination policy.
The North West University on the other hand rubbished reports that its forcing its students to vaccinate and advised them to rather apply for exemption.
SAFTU’s National spokesperson, Trevor Shaku says, “Reports show that the University of the Free State is denying students and other persons who don’t have proof of vaccination access to its campuses. Though the university indicates students can apply for exemption or a temporary permit to access the university campuses, some students have complained that there is no response to the applications.”
University of Free State students protest against mandatory vaccination
Solidarity takes University of Free State to court over mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations
Solidarity Union has lodged a High Court application against the University of the Free State mandatory COVID 19 vaccine policy. It says the university mandatory vaccination policy is unlawful.
Solidarity’s Anton van der Bijl says they are not against vaccines as they see vaccination as a reasonable intermediate intervention.
“We are against the autocratic blanket approach being taken by the university. We say and argue in the court papers that if you implement a mandatory vaccination policy, then you need a proper risk assessment when you look at each individual in the workspace and each activity, thereafter you can look at whether there is a possibility that vaccines must be mandatory,” van der Bijl explains.
The Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (DASO) at the University of the Free State says it fully supports vaccination but is opposed to the mandatory vaccination policy of the university as approved by the varsity Council in November last year.
DASO Interim Chair at UFS in Bloemfontein Thabiso Mokhatla says everyone has the right of choice regarding the vaccine which the university should not infringe upon.
Mokhatla says the human rights of the students and workers must be respected.
“Because now the state has imposed this mandatory vaccination on people, on workers, retail workers, students and people public sector. But the state on its own fails to vaccinate the population in record time,” says Mokhatla.
VIDEO: COVID-19 vaccinations – University of the Free State SRC reacts to possible mandatory vaccines
