Gol starts laying off unvaccinated employees

Gol has now started, in November, the dismissal of employees who did not present a vaccination certificate against Covid-19, as the company had anticipated it would do, in August.

According to the airline, the measure is due to a commitment to public health and the protection of passengers and the population in general.

Through a note, the company stated that more than 99% of its 15 thousand employees are fully immunized. “This number reveals the clear engagement of the company’s internal public in an attitude of caring for their own health, their families, co-workers, customers and society as a whole.”

Also according to Gol, the creation of the vaccination requirement for employees is part of the reinforcement of other safety protocols adopted by the company since the beginning of the pandemic.

“We are also aware of the Ministry of Health’s new calendar for the application of booster doses to the adult population already vaccinated, encouraging our employees to follow the recommendations of Organs competent bodies to walk with us in this resumption even more protected and healthy”, says Gol.

The company did not disclose the number of dismissed employees or their areas of expertise. According to a source, up to 160 employees could be affected by the decision.

According to the National Aeronauts Union (which represents the crew) and the Saesp (Airway Workers Union of the State of São Paulo), which represents the ground service workers, the company had not yet communicated to the entities about the layoffs.

“The union is against dismissal for just cause, as the company intends to do. Even knowing that dismissal is part of the company’s directive power, we think it is coherent that they are carried out with the payment of all amounts, including the 40% fine on the FGTS (Guarantee Fund for Employees)”, says Claudio de Carvalho, president of Saesp.

According to the National Aeronauts Union, all Gol crew members have job stability until December 31, due to a collective labor agreement signed by the company.

In a video circulated by WhatsApp groups in October, alleged Gol employees protested the company’s decision to fire the unvaccinated.

The controversy over dismissing employees who refuse to take the vaccine gained momentum after an ordinance by the Ministry of Labor, released on November 1, which prohibited companies from firing or not hiring employees who refuse to take the vaccine against Covid.

The rule, signed by Minister Onyx Lorenzoni, considered it discriminatory to require the employee to present proof of vaccination to maintain their relationship with the company. The ordinance took companies and lawyers specializing in labor law by surprise.

In the assessment of specialists in labor law, the ordinance was unconstitutional.

On the 12th, the minister of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) Luís Roberto Barroso annulled the effectiveness of parts of the government’s text.

According to the minister, dismissing anyone who refuses to provide proof is the employer’s right, but this power must be exercised with moderation and proportionality.

“It should be noted, as important, that the power to terminate an employee’s employment contract, although it is a faculty of the employer, must be exercised with moderation and proportionality, in respect of the social value of work,” wrote Barroso.

Read the full note from Gol:

Security is the number 1 value of GOL Linhas Aéreas. Therefore, adopting the Covid-19 vaccine as an indispensable requirement for its internal audience is a natural decision that is in line with the Company’s commitment to public health and the protection of the population in general. Thus, as announced in August, the Company started this November the dismissal of Employees who did not present a vaccination certificate.

There are more than 99% of the team with complete immunization. This number reveals the clear engagement of the Company’s internal public in an attitude of caring for their own health, that of their families, co-workers, Clients and society as a whole.

The creation of this security requirement at GOL is presented as a reinforcement and improvement of the other protocols established by the company since the beginning of the pandemic, which are rigorous, reliable, certified and proven to be effective. For GOL, awareness and understanding of the importance of vaccination are essential for the restoration of collective well-being.

We are also aware of the Ministry of Health’s new calendar for the application of booster doses to the adult population already vaccinated, encouraging our Employees to follow the recommendations of Organs competent bodies to walk with us in this recovery even more protected and healthy.