Air Canada Suspends 800 Employees Without Pay for Refusing Vaccination... "Termination Upon Contract End"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Air Canada, the largest airline in Canada, has imposed unpaid suspensions on over 800 employees who have not complied with the COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

According to the Canadian daily Globe and Mail on the 2nd (local time), Air Canada announced this policy, stating that vaccination of airline employees is a mandatory rule implemented by the government and the aviation industry.

Michael Rousseau, CEO, said, "More than 96% of all employees have completed vaccination," adding, "Those who have not been vaccinated or who do not have valid exemptions such as medical reasons have been placed on unpaid suspension."

Air Canada employs approximately 27,000 people, including pilots and flight attendants.

Peter Fitzpatrick, spokesperson, said that the suspended employees may be terminated upon contract expiration and expressed hope that more employees will participate in vaccination to reduce the number of those suspended.

WestJet, the second-largest airline in Canada, also announced the previous day that it imposed a one-month unpaid suspension on 290 unvaccinated employees and plans to terminate those who continue to refuse vaccination.

The Canadian government has mandated COVID-19 vaccination for employees of airlines and railway companies. The government set the compliance deadline as the 30th of last month, and the relevant industries are following this as a mandatory rule.

General passengers must also present proof of vaccination when boarding flights or trains.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.