Protest against vaccines in Hamburg.
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The pandemic divided society in two. Meanwhile, “parallel worlds” for the unvaccinated have sprung up on the Internet: there are now special job portals and dating platforms for the unvaccinated. Deutsche Welle.
“We are looking to hire a jeweler: creative, committed, motivated and skillful” – this is the text of a job advertisement. At first glance, there is nothing unusual in it. Then comes the addition: “We have the following requirements: accuracy, endurance, skills for independent work, but also the ability to work in a team. That’s why we do not want you to be vaccinated against Kovid-19.” The ad is placed in the Swiss job portal with the significant name Impffrei.work, ie. “work for the unvaccinated”.
The pressure on the unvaccinated is growing
From July 2021, the “alternative exchange” in question is recruiting workers throughout the German-speaking world – from artisans, through sales managers to IT specialists. And, she claims, she has set herself the goal of “counteracting the isolation and defamation of the workforce” and “protecting employers and the workforce from the economic collapse that results from the so-called pandemic”.
The portal’s logo – a fist that crushes a syringe – clearly indicates that it is a declaration of war. “A large number of intelligent and free-thinking people” had noticed the “health hazards” that arose from vaccines, so they did not want to be vaccinated, we read on the site. However, they say, they risk losing their jobs.
The pressure on the unvaccinated in the labor market is really growing, says Tobias Werner, a labor lawyer in Berlin. Many large companies, including IKEA or Citigroup, have already decided to cut sickness benefits to the unvaccinated, or not hire them at all. “In principle, such an attitude is unacceptable. Existing employment contracts with unvaccinated people cannot be terminated simply. But these employees could eventually be transferred to another job at the same company,” Werner said.
The rules are even stricter in those countries where compulsory vaccinations have already been introduced for certain professions. In Germany, for example, such obligations for healthcare workers come into force on 15 March.
It is in this area that the Impffrei.work portal has a particularly large number of job postings – incl. and from Germany. We are looking for pharmacists, dental assistants, midwives and even nurses. And the ads are often accompanied by the addition: “Special advantage for unvaccinated”.
The Swiss portal is relatively modest – about 550 ads have been published, but in recent months similar portals have appeared in many other countries around the world. For example, in Canada – Jabless Jobs (ie work without a syringe), and in the United States – Redballoon.work, which call themselves the “Labor Exchange of the freedom-loving community.”
In some cases, the role of such exchanges goes beyond their official purpose – to mediate in finding work. What they have in common is a negative attitude towards current pandemic policies. These portals spread some false or misleading reports about the coronavirus and vaccines. The Swiss platform Impffrei.work even offers its own blog, which lists, among other things, fictional risks associated with vaccines. There is also talk of “ineffectiveness” of vaccines – things that have been repeatedly refuted by detailed and serious scientific studies.
Deepening disunity in society
In the meantime, real “parallel worlds” for the unvaccinated have been created on the Internet – including dating sites. Again in Switzerland, for example, there is the online dating site Impffrei.love, which means “love for the unvaccinated”, which promises to find a “partner without basic immunization”.
Psychologist Guido Gebauer, who maintains an online dating site, noted in his study that attitudes toward the pandemic also play a big role in finding a partner. “Nearly 90% of those vaccinated insist that their partner take the dangers of the pandemic seriously, and two-thirds of those who refuse to be vaccinated are looking for people with an attitude that suits them,” Gebauer said. According to the psychologist, this is a sign of deepening disunity in society.
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