JTUM: Vaccination a personal choice

Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) president Ancel Roget is reminding people it is their choice to get vaccinated against covid19.

Roget teamed up with the My Body, My Choice movement on Monday for an awareness event against mandatory vaccinations outside the Siparia market.

Also present were representatives from the Communication Workers' Union, TT Unified Teachers Association and Contractors and General Workers Union.

Although he is vaccinated, Roget doubled down on his stance that the government’s February 17 deadline for public workers to get vaccinated is a “dictatorial position by the government used to force jabs into the bodies of individuals.

“You give them (the government) a job to secure your job but they use that job to force you to take a jab, and if you don’t take that jab they will remove you from your job…something has to be wrong with that.

“I am frightened for those who would exercise their right not to take it (the vaccine) because it’s a matter of choice. It’s my body, my choice.”

Roget warned, the union will not support any legislation which seeks to mandate covid19 vaccinations in any way.

My Body, My Choice movement leader Trisha Hamilton said while she isn’t against vaccinations, she is against people being mandated to do so and possibly losing their livelihoods if they choose not to.

“We are not anti-vaxx, we are pro-choice which is very different. We believe that people should not be losing their jobs over a choice and over a free will that God gave us.

“The country done in a mess already and people have been suffering. So we say no to telling people that if they don’t take the jab they won’t be getting paid and they’ll be out of a job.”

The movement is expected to host another event on February 12 at Palmiste Park in San Fernando.

Hamilton said, “We want to send a loud message to the government, and I want to ask our Prime Minister to please hear the people (and) please hear your citizens.

“This is one time in our lives that we are not going to back down. We are standing firm, we are standing as people because united we stand, divided we fall.”

Roget said the union will participate in the event and will continue supporting events to raise awareness on the issue of mandatory vaccinations.