DWC officers to call strike, if not vaccinated against COVID

Wildlife officers warned that they would call for a trade union action if the authorities in charge fail to vaccinate them by the end of the week.

General Secretary of the All Island Wildlife Junior Officers Association, A.P.S Vidanagamage complained that the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) had failed to vaccinate its officers against COVID-19.

Mr Vidnagamage speaking to TimesOnline claimed that there was no department level intervention to provide the wildlife officers vaccinations.

He pointed out unlike other state department officials, wildlife officers engage in 24-hour work shifts and even work seven days. Therefore they reasoned that their officers are in need of protection from the prevailing pandemic.

The association issuing a letter to the Director General of DWC yesterday (12) said that the department has not taken effort to provide COVID-19 vaccine despite their islandwide strike held on July 7,2021.

The letter said that a small number of officers have been vaccinated by personal intervention of several Assistant Directors in charge of several wildlife zones, however the association claimed that they have not received any information that the department has directed an islandwide vaccination programme as they expected.

Therefore, their collective union has decided to call on an islandwide strike during the upcoming weekend, if the department fails to carry out a vaccination programme in a satisfactory manner within the remaining four days.

Mr Vidanagamage elaborated that they would commence their strike on Friday, July 16 evening and maintain their union action until Monday, July 19 morning.

He warned that if the authorities fail to heed their demands they would continue on their union action in the next weekend as well.