A New Zealand combat gymnasium has been fined a heavy fine after knowingly allowing unvaccinated employees to work in defiance of the country’s strict Covid certification guidelines.
WorkSafe, New Zealand’s workplace health and safety watchdog, has notified the gym that it is violating a recently vaccinated ‘traffic light’ system against Covid-19.
The group discovered that Oliver MMA, which is run by Steve and Krissy Oliver, knowingly and willfully acted in violation of the rules, resulting in a fine of NZ$12,000 (about $8,100) – the first such monetary penalty imposed by WorkSafe. In the midst of anti-Covid measures in the country.
Since then, Steve Oliver has suggested online that this is not a one-time monetary penalty, but a daily fine being imposed on them as long as they are seen as acting against New Zealand’s Covid laws.
“Evident violations like this will be taken seriously.” Chief Inspector General Simon Humphreys said.
“This business has continued to operate in violation of the rules. It is not fair to the large number of companies and organizations that have changed the way they operate to keep people safe.”
Humphries also noted that the gym indicated its opposition to the rules on social media and indicated that it had no intention of following them.
Oliver MMA in New Lynn ignores the vaccine law and allows unvaccinated people to train and kill. We will see you. pic.twitter.com/pkd1GugExw
They clearly do not meet the requirements and have no intention of doing so yet. “
More recently, gym operators said they are determined to keep their doors open to members who have not been vaccinated and who have been turned away from many other health and fitness centers.
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“We are contacted daily by people who suffer from severe psychological stress,” he added. Steve Oliver told the NZ Herald.
“We care about them and have additional measures in place to make sure we help them get the right support and [being] There for them.
“They are great people out there doing [their] a job. They’re not happy with what they’re doing – $12,000 a day fines aren’t that big.
“But we are doing everything we can to keep everyone here happy and safe.”
Humphreys added that companies like Oliver MMA are in far the minority when it comes to non-compliance with government regulations and that WorkSafe has received very few reports of similar violations.
