THE celebration of World AIDS Day December 1 for Safety and Health at work is an integral part of the global strategy on Occupational Safety and Health. Several chief executive officers (CEOs) reflected on their positive experiences in supporting the prevention and control of HIV in the Caribbean Region expressed their support to the zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. 

The trade unions’ role in the fight against HIV/AIDS is often neglected. The disease is not always recognised as a workplace issue. This is why the work of trade unions on HIV/AIDS is so important. I was personally attacked when I said, “Trade unions can do much more to fight HIV/AIDS.”

I am sincerely grateful to the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, when he was the Minister of Health who addressed the “Global Transport Workers and HIV/AIDS” Caribbean sub-regional workshop on June 4, 2007. He had pointed out some of the foregoing and issued a call to the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), saying: “The things I ask you to advocate can break the back of the HIV pandemic”.

I want to give recognition to the fact that trade unions are doing a tremendous amount of work. But, having said that, I feel that in the global response to HIV/AIDS, the potential of trade unions is under-utilised, trade unions can do much more. I believe trade unions should get a lot more of the resources, financial and otherwise, that are available at the national and regional levels. Many donors make use of funding structures such as the global fund and PEPFAR. This means that trade unions often have to compete for resources at the national level, and it’s not always easy.

They are often occupied on a day-to-day basis with job security, health and safety and salaries. It is not always possible to deliver HIV/AIDS work if additional resources are not made available. There is an amazing capacity for trade unions to mobilise. This is not always given enough recognition by donors. Sometimes there is a difficulty when there are several trade union centres in one country; there is not always a unity of purpose. However on this issue we have been fortunate, as usually differences could be overcome. It is important to look at how the world of work can coordinate itself, to agree joint submissions and divide financial resources. There needs to be real human resources to implement and plan for these activities.

The trade unions need to focus on prevention; they can negotiate access to treatment at the workplace. It requires a lot of negotiations, for time off from work, looking at how trade unions deal with sick leave and similar matters. I have seen that solidarity from trade unions organising around this issue and supporting each other, particularly when trying to negotiate with management.

When HIV/AIDS is part of the collective agreement, this is often the strongest tool. With treatment, it is possible to continue to lead a working life. A well established collective bargaining agreement often leads to a reduction in absenteeism and more willingness to go for voluntary testing and counselling, because confidentiality and job security are assured.
The workplaces where more than 90 per cent of workers have gone for voluntary counselling and testing are those where there are agreements to say confidentiality is respected, and there will be access to treatment. This does not mean that the treatment must be paid for by the employer; there could be a link with a public hospital or other mechanisms. When HIV/AIDS policies and programmes are negotiated by workers and employers, it should not be just an employer-driven programme.

In high-prevalence countries, there’s much greater awareness of HIV/AIDS as a workplace issue, through force of circumstance. Employers and trade unions have responded specifically to keep businesses going and to protect jobs. In low-prevalence countries, there’s a sense that the workplace is not as important as a centre for intervention, that the issue is something for Non- governmental Organisations (NGOs) or the government to deal with. I fundamentally differ with that approach; I am trying to advocate that HIV/AIDS is a global concern for all workplaces.

My message to the workplaces that think it is not their concern, is that they have a responsibility to act now. By the time they think prevalence is high, it would be far too late to respond. We have a collective responsibility to have an absolute sense of urgency. If employers think that it does not affect them,that this is just a problem for the Caribbean, they are making a big mistake. We are seeing outbreaks in some countries and new infections have gone up. Prevalence may be low, but when infections are going up it means we are not doing enough about prevention,which is still the main responsibility. It is our duty to have a sense of urgency about the preventive work. “After Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean has the highest HIV prevalence than any other region in the World with one percent of the adult population infected”. Source UNAIDS.

Globally, the trade union movement has tried to have a harmonised response. Perhaps we need to acknowledge there can be a different way of organising to access resources and respond even more effectively.

The role of trade unions in implanting the recommendations will be very important. It will be dependent on employers and unions engaging with the content.

I want to emphasise the issue of using this monumental challenge as an opportunity to access resources. Take time to look at the issue. Please do not send junior members and staff to discuss HIV/AIDS at important meetings at the national policy level. We need a union voice at the national level as part of national HIV/AIDS structures; we need senior union voices.

The lesson has been learnt in our Caribbean Region through many struggles, that is why we have to see it through. We cannot do the job halfway, making sure the policies are implemented, but have to find ways to overcome these obstacles and to create opportunities.

The newly adopted ILO Recommendation No. 200 on HIV and AIDS and the world of work is the first international labour standard on HIV/AIDS and one of the few human rights instruments to address the epidemic directly. Our role is to promote this instrument among the wider HIV/AIDS community and highlight that, from now on, (a) national response to HIV/AIDS must include the workplace, and (b) workplace action on HIV/AIDS must respect the new recommendation.

SHERWOOD CLARKE
General President
Clerical & Commercial Workers’ Union