Stop Aids Campaign
ITGLWF and its affiliates are determined to promote action against HIV and AIDS
Every day, thousands of workers around the world face stigma or discrimination at their workplaces because they are HIV positive or suspected to be so.
Access this video featuring ITGLWF affiliate actions on HIV/AIDS in the Workplace. "Before It is Too Late" by Bruno Lorvao - Tuttle Films, 2006. Being a HIV positive worker in a developing country also means rapidly exhausting your sick leave days because – even where antiretroviral treatments are free – you would have to line up several days in front of overcrowded and understaffed clinics before you could actually consult a doctor, access your treatment or have your CD4 count checked. HIV-related illnesses are also a common cause of absenteeism and subsequent dismissal.
Important resources on HIV and AIDS for workers and their organisations :
The ILO Code of Practice on HIV and AIDS and the World of Work
Read: The ICFTU – AFRO Training Manual for Shop-stewards on HIV and AIDS: Consequently being absent from work means being deducted money you badly need to obtain the balanced diet which is vital to keep your immune system strong. There are many implications on workers of the HIV epidemic. Ultimately all are destructive and seriously endanger union organisations but at a deeper level erode the very fabric of societiy. Many workers lose their jobs as a result of insufficient protection being negotiated with employers and entire families must face the hardship caused by grief, loss of revenue or exhorbitant medical bills.
The UNAIDS estimates that over 40 million people worldwide are infected by HIV and this figure has been increasing steadily over a number of years. In 2005 alone, around five million people became infected with HIV and three million people died. 80% of people living with HIV are of working age. The various economic repercussions of the epidemic are already being felt in a number of countries.
Defending an exposed labour force
Because the HIV/AIDS epidemic overwhelmingly affects working people and relates to many union core missions such as the fight for decent wages, better working conditions, accommodation of working time for sick people, the social responsibility of companies, or advocacy for better public services, the ITGLWF is engaging its affiliates to take up this difficult challenge.
Spreading action at the workplace
The ITGLWF believes that the factory floor is the best place to raise awareness and bring about changes in behaviour where misconception or lack of information is at the root of the problem.
Trade union representatives and shop-stewards are uniquely placed to help create awareness because they can communicate with their members and co-workers as equals. Their recognized role as leaders will also ease and overcome resistance to change. They will also defend their colleagues’ fundamental rights wherever these are put at risk by the epidemic.
The ITGLWF has developed and is now implementing a global programme on HIV education and prevention at the workplace among its affiliates. It is hoped that, at the factory level, the message of prevention can be widely spread, that behavioural changes can be observed and that trends in infection rates in our sectors and the immediate local communities can be rapidly and consistently reversed.
Using social dialogue and collaborative action as a weapon
The HIV/AIDS epidemic is affecting workers as much as businesses worldwide. There is not a single country or a single industry spared by the epidemic.
In their actions against the HIV epidemic, the ITGLWF and its affiliates will seek to establish dialogue with employers. Social dialogue and joint action are the best weapons at the disposal of social partners to combat the spread of the epidemic and mitigate its effects on workers and companies. This was recognised in joint statement (“fighting HIV/AIDS together”) between the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) in 2003. The ILO Code of Practice on HIV and AIDS and the World of Work will be used as a reference in trade unions’ action in this respect.
The ITGLWF also encourages its affiliates around the world to negotiate protective clauses on HIV/AIDS in collective bargaining agreements to ensure respect for workers’ fundamental rights. Joint education policies and company-based “know your status” campaigns will be promoted.
Access The Video featuring ITGLWF affiliate actions on HIV/AIDS in the Workplace. "Before It is Too Late" by Bruno Lorvao - Tuttle Films, 2006.
Other Useful Resources on HIV/AIDS for Workers and their Organisations :
The ILO Code of Practice on HIV and AIDS and the World of Work
The ICFTU – AFRO Training Manual for Shop-stewards on HIV and AIDS:
The ILO Code of Practice on HIV and AIDS
UNAIDS, the joint United Nations programme on HIV and AIDS
The World AIDS Campaign
World Health Organisation
World Economic Forum – Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS
Code of good practice on key aspects of HIV/AIDS and employment within the clothing manufacturing industry of South Africa - National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry
