LABOR group General Alliance of Workers Associations (Gawa) has sought the support of the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) for an increased allocation of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccines for cities and municipalities in Negros Occidental.
Gawa Secretary-General Wennie Sancho made an appeal to NIATF chair and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III in a letter dated June 21.
Sancho, also the labor representative to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Western Visayas, said "our vaccines are not enough, leaving our vulnerable workers dangerously unprotected."
"We are fervently appealing for your kind consideration for urgent and additional vaccines for Bacolod City and Negros Occidental," he added.
The labor leader said the current surge of transmission of the virus in the city had caused an awareness that the way to combat the rising infection is only through vaccination and observance of health protocols.
Sancho said the workers need to be vaccinated so that they could already go back to work and no longer afraid of being infected.
"Our workers need the vaccine so that we could help the government achieve herd immunity," he added.
The local labor group is aware of the limited supplies of available Covid-19 vaccines.
"It is for this reason that Gawa with a membership of about 5,000 workers in the province that we humbly appeal for additional and ample supplies of Covid-19 vaccines the soonest possible time," its secretary-general said.
Sancho said the NIATF's positive response to this concern will not only help protect the workers but also help the economy to recover.