The Joint Trade Union Movement is doubling down on its lack of support of a mandatory vaccine requirement for workers in the public sector.

At a press conference outside the Attorney General’s office on Tuesday morning, JTUM President Ancel Roget said while they encourage their members to be vaccinated, they believe employees reserve the right to refusal without the threat of being furloughed. Both government and the unions have failed to see eye to eye on the issue, with the policy set to come in effect by mid-January.

Mr. Roget says it is his understanding that employees at some state agencies have already been given deadlines by management to submit their vaccination information.

He told employees, they should report for duty whether or not they are unvaccinated- even when the policy comes into effect.

“I want to tell all workers, present yourself for work on the 17th and continue to present yourself, let them deny you entry into your place of work and that will be tantamount to illegal lockout which the trade union and our legal team is waiting to deal with those issues. I repeat, do not set up yourselves by staying home present yourself to work,” he said.

The Joint Trade Union Movement leader is once more calling on Attorney General Faris al Rawi to return to the table for negotiations, before implementing the policy mid-January as previously outlined.

He said anything else should be seen as a unilateral approach by the government, as union negotiations ought to precede any affirmative decision.