Let’s vaccinate Britain – time for trade union members to step up

Trade unions always step up in times of national crisis. That’s why the TUC has joined the Labour party and the Daily Mirror in the Let’s Vaccinate Britain campaign.    

Our brilliant NHS health professionals need all of us to support them to get everyone vaccinated.  

Here are six things trade unionists can do to support the vaccine rollout:

1. Get vaccinated yourself, when it is your turn. And tell everyone that you got vaccinated – and why. Because you want your life back. Because you care about your workmates, your family, your community. Encourage others to get vaccinated. Help friends find reliable info on the NHS website.    

2. Bargain for paid time off to get vaccinated from your employer. Be clear that a vaccinated workforce is a safer and more productive workforce.  

3. Volunteer to help the vaccination programme. Of course, it will be health professionals who give the vaccines, but trade unionists can support our brilliant NHS colleagues.  

4. Ask others to speak out for vaccination. Pass a resolution at your branch. Ask community and faith leaders to speak out. Think about other groups you could mobilise – like music groups, sports clubs or fandoms.  

5. Support vaccination on social media. Be kind – arguing or calling people stupid won’t persuade them to get vaccinated. And don’t myth-bust – it reduces people’s motivation to get vaccinated. Instead, share positive info and messages from reputable sources, like the NHS. Never share anti-vaccination arguments or posts – even to debunk them. Repeating things that aren’t true embeds them in people’s minds.  

6. Demand the government runs a fast and inclusive vaccination programme. Hold them accountable when they get it wrong. Debate, criticise and campaign on the details of the programme – like how quickly it happens, and which groups are the priority. But don’t let opposition to government policies slip into undermining the case for everyone getting vaccinated as soon as possible. Our brilliant NHS needs our support.  

In December the TUC set out how we think a vaccination programme should work – and the key thing is that it is led and delivered by public health professionals and our NHS.  

If we are to build a fair society with decent jobs for everyone, we need to beat the pandemic. Getting everyone vaccinated as quickly as possible is how we do it.

Let’s do it together. Let’s vaccinate Britain.