News

U.S. Supreme Court blocks federal vaccine mandate for large businesses

Published

2 years ago

14/01/2022

MNN

he U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Joe Biden administration’s rule requiring employees at large U.S. businesses to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or be subject to frequent testing, but it allowed the administration’s vaccine mandate for health care workers receiving funds from the federal government to go ahead.

The high court ruled 6-3 to block the vaccine-or-test mandate for private employers, with its conservative majority basing their ruling on the argument that the White House has overstepped its authority by imposing the rule devised by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on businesses with 100 or more employees, since Congress has not given OSHA the power to enact such a rule. The mandate would have affected more than 80 million people.

“OSHA has never before imposed such a mandate. Nor has Congress. Indeed, although Congress has enacted significant legislation addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, it has declined to enact any measure similar to what OSHA has promulgated here,” read the unsigned majority opinion.

“Although Congress has indisputably given OSHA the power to regulate occupational dangers, it has not given that agency the power to regulate public health more broadly. Requiring the vaccination of 84 million Americans, selected simply because they work for employers with more than 100 employees, certainly falls in the latter category,” it said.

The court’s three liberal justices dissented from the ruling. “When we are wise, we know not to displace the judgments of experts, acting within the sphere Congress marked out and under Presidential control, to deal with emergency conditions,” they wrote in the dissenting opinion.

“Today, we are not wise. In the face of a still-raging pandemic, this Court tells the agency charged with protecting worker safety that it may not do so in all the workplaces needed. As disease and death continue to mount, this Court tells the agency that it cannot respond in the most effective way possible.”

Biden, in a statement issued in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling, called on states and businesses step up “and institute vaccination requirements to protect their workers, customers, and communities.”

“The Court has ruled that my administration cannot use the authority granted to it by Congress to require this measure, but that does not stop me from using my voice as President to advocate for employers to do the right thing to protect Americans’ health and economy,” he said.

Biden announced the rules in September as a way to combat the pandemic resurgence, only to see his measures meet with strong opposition from — and a slew of lawsuits filed by – Republican-led states. Some business groups, meanwhile, argued that the expansive requirements would cause employees to leave their jobs at a time when businesses are already suffering labor shortages.

Separately, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to let the administration’s vaccine mandate for most health care workers take effect. That mandate will apply to over 17 million health care workers across around 76,000 facilities that participate in the federally-funded Medicare and Medicaid programs.

The court argued that Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra had the authority to enact the vaccine requirement because he’s empowered to enact rules “in the interest of the health and safety,” and that the mandate was not “arbitrary and capricious.”

Vaccine requirements, the justices said in an unsigned opinion, are “common” for health care workers, noting this is “perhaps why health care workers and public health organizations overwhelmingly support the Secretary’s rule.”

“The challenges posed by a global pandemic do not allow a federal agency to exercise power that Congress has not conferred upon it. At the same time, such unprecedented circumstances provide no grounds for limiting the exercise of authorities the agency has long been recognized to have,” the justices wrote, adding “the latter principle governs” the health care cases.

Justice Clarence Thomas dissented from the ruling, along with three other conservative justices who concurred with him.

The private employer mandate took effect on Jan. 4 and started being enforced on Jan. 10 – with the testing requirements not enforced until Feb. 9. Federal health officials have said health care workers will be required to receive a first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine dose by Jan. 27 and be fully compliant with the policy by Feb. 28.

Source: Xinhua News Agency.

World

Hamas plans to suspend Gaza ceasefire negotiations if Israel attacks Rafah

Published

5 hours ago

02/05/2024

Hamas said on Wednesday that ceasefire negotiations with Israel would be suspended if Israel attacks the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said in an interview with Lebanon-based al-Manar TV that Hamas would halt all indirect negotiations with Israel if it launches military operations against Rafah.

Accusing Israel of seeking “to blackmail all the parties by its threats of attacking Rafah,” the official said “the resistance is still having its power to defend our people.”

On Monday, a Hamas delegation left Cairo and said they would return with a written response to the latest truce proposal.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on his seventh visit to the Middle East, on Wednesday urged Hamas to accept the truce deal which would see 33 hostages released in exchange for a larger number of Palestinian prisoners and a halt to the fighting, with the possibility of further steps towards a comprehensive deal later.

“Israel has made very important compromises,” he said. “There’s no time for further haggling. The deal is there. They (Hamas) should take it.”

A senior Hamas official said on Wednesday that Hamas was still studying the proposed deal but said Israel was the real obstacle.

Israel is holding off sending a delegation to Cairo for follow-up truce talks, pending a response from Hamas’ leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, an Israeli official told Reuters.

Israel’s military chief of staff Herzi Halevi on Wednesday said that the country’s offensive operation in Gaza “will continue with strength” and that Israel was “preparing for an offensive in the north.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously said that Israel will enter Rafah and eliminate the Hamas battalions there “with or without” a deal with Hamas.

With an Israeli ground operation in Rafah on the horizon, United Nations (UN) aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Tuesday that Israeli improvements to aid access in Gaza “cannot be used to prepare for or justify a full-blown military assault on Rafah.”

More than one million people face famine after six months of the conflict, the UN has said.

As night fell on Wednesday, Israeli planes and tanks pounded several areas across Gaza, residents and Hamas-linked media said.

Medics in Gaza said at least 27 Palestinians were killed in strikes on Wednesday, with others likely hurt or killed in areas they were unable to reach.

To speed the flow of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave, the U.S. military has so far constructed over 50 percent of a maritime pier that will be placed off the coast of Gaza, according to the Pentagon.

However, U.S. lawmakers have questioned whether the pier is a worthwhile endeavor. On the one hand, it will cost the American taxpayers at least $320 million to operate the pier for only 90 days; on the other hand, the U.S. military personnel could become targets of Hamas militants, Republican Senator Roger Wicker told Reuters.

Source(s): CGTN

News

Solih reassures MDP dedication to protecting workers’ rights

Published

17 hours ago

01/05/2024

Former President and Advisor of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has reaffirmed the party’s commitment to safeguarding workers’ rights.

In a post on social media, Solih extended his congratulations to all Maldivian workers on International Labour Day, highlighting the advocacy of MDP for crucial policies like safeguarding workers’ rights and implementing a minimum wage. He also assured that the party remains dedicated to upholding the rights of workers

The world celebrates International Labour Day annually on May 1.

Source(s): PsmNews

News

Efforts underway to limit Hajj pilgrimage rates

Published

17 hours ago

01/05/2024

Maldives Hajj Corporation (MHC) has initiated significant steps to substantially lower the prices of Hajj pilgrimage trips, aligning with President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s presidential pledge to reduce costs for travellers from Maldives.

In a post shared on social media, Managing Director Mohamed Shakeel announced the establishment of the “Hajj Fund,” aimed at reducing pilgrim expenses while creating income-generating opportunities for the corporation, thus strengthening its financial stability. He underscored that efforts are currently underway to minimise Hajj trip costs, with an increase in real estate investments.

Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed affirmed that restructuring the Hajj Corporation would substantially decrease Hajj pilgrimage rates. He further emphasised the Ministry’s proactive measures under the new administration to address this issue. This year, the Hajj Corporation has disbursed USD 4,537 with over 7,000 individuals on the waiting list. The government has officially allocated 100 quotas to the Maldives to mitigate the waiting list and alleviate high pilgrimage costs incurred.

Minister Shaheem stated that if additional quotas are to be granted, private entities will be engaged in organising pilgrimage trips, adhering to the list compiled by the Hajj Corporation.

Source(s): PsmNews