“The distribution ensured high standards of service during the pandemic. Now that the time has come to get vaccinated, however, our cashiers are neglected. The employees who work in points of sale where 1,200-1,500 people enter a day, I believe, are at risk more than a lawyer. Category that has also had precedence in some Regions The appeal to vaccinate trade workers first does not come from the union but from Conad CEO Francesco Pugliese, who also highlights some gaps with respect to the rules on vaccinations in the workplace.
Why should orders take precedence?
“Let me be clear, I agree that the elderly should be vaccinated first and that the registry order is the main point of reference. But at the same time committed and committed should be considered in the same way as the police and school staff ».
Why?
“Conad employs 65,000 people. In Codogno during the first lockdown there was only one of our stores open. There as elsewhere, salesmen and orders have guaranteed services and serenity. Then we must recognize that the level of risk to which they are subjected is higher than other categories ».
There is now a vaccination protocol on the farm. Also signed by the representative association of Conad, Ancd. Are you ready to vaccinate your employees right away?
«We want to vaccinate our employees as soon as possible and we are ready to bear the costs that this entails. Because the vaccines are charged to the local health authorities, but everything else is our responsibility. Not only that: we have also made available to General Figliuolo 120 areas in 64 Provinces distributed over all Regions for mass vaccinations. The problem is that, it is true, there is a protocol that we have shared, but it does not clarify all aspects of the question ».
What is missing? What are the points to be clarified?
«First: you need to know how many people want to get the vaccine to reserve the vials, but it is not clear how to manage the information while respecting the privacy legislation. Take into account that our sales points are 3,000 distributed throughout the territory. Second: do we have to vaccinate employees in order of decreasing age or can we proceed without constraints? We do not know ».
Each Region may have different rules.
“It would be a problem. There cannot be as many different rules as there are Regions. Employees of Lombardy have the same rights as those of Basilicata. Finally, we need to know when we can start, to organize work shifts in order to ensure continuity of service and at the same time give employees the opportunity not to work if the vaccine provokes some slight reaction ».
What if you do not receive these clarifications?
“I hope to receive them as soon as possible, otherwise I don’t know how we will be able to participate in the vaccination campaign.”
In addition to large-scale distribution, there are also small stores …
“The whole world of commerce and self-service, from restaurants to bars, should have a fast track. It would be a way to take into account the risk that people face every day and at the same time guarantee an additional element of competitiveness to a sector which has been largely damaged and needs to restart ».