KOTA SAMARAHAN: The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) is taking seriously the welfare of staff at vaccination centres (PPVs), said Cuepacs Sarawak chairman Omar Bahrein Unin.
He said the umbrella union for civil servants would continue to provide moral support and encouragement to those in charge of PPVs, particularly in Sarawak and the country as a whole.
“Our work visits to PPVs located throughout the nation is not to find fault, but as an umbrella union to civil servants, we take responsibility in providing support and gratitude to all staff.
“These include volunteers who help carry out the vaccination process in all PPVs, especially in the state,” he said during a working visit by Cuepacs Sarawak to the Kota Samarahan Civic Centre PPV on Sunday (Aug 1).
Omar added the union always prioritised the welfare of PPV staff, adding that issues pertaining to financial support such as allowance payment were also taken very seriously.
“According to the information we received, in terms of allowances, there are not that many problems so far because we have also dealt a lot with the government on this issue.
“However, we are also ready to listen if there are any related issues or problems,” he explained.
In the meantime, Omar also called on the government to look into providing better safety equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce the risk of working at PPVs.
“This is because for Cuepacs itself, these personnel are also at risk from the dangers of Covid-19 because they are dealing with a lot of people coming from various places. They are also frontline workers,” he said.
He explained that the union also welcomed the approach taken by PPVs, especially at the Kota Samarahan Civic Centre, in providing walk-in vaccination services.
“We hope that this can speed up the vaccination process and help Sarawak achieve herd immunity by the end of August, in line with the vision of the Sarawak government,” he added.
During the working visit, Omar also presented certificates of appreciation from Cuepacs to the Samarahan Resident’s Office; Samarahan Divisional Health Office; Samarahan Divisional Youth and Sports Office; Samarahan Civil Defense Force (APM); Samarahan People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) Office and several other agencies.
The union also handed over contributions of drinking water and biscuits to the workers of the PPV.
