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| Workplace discrimination against HIV/AIDS declines: ILO |
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A six-country survey of workers also reported a marked increase in condom usage over the past four years. Written HIV policies are thought to be a key reason for the positive changes |
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There has been a considerable improvement in workplace attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide, as well as greater acceptance of condoms and other preventive measures as a result of effective HIV policies and practices, says a new report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) based on surveys of workers in Belize, Benin, Cambodia, Ghana, Guyana and Togo. In all six countries surveyed, the proportion of workers who reported supportive behaviour towards co-workers living with HIV rose from 49% to 63% on average, during the life of the programme. The new report, called ‘Saving Lives, Protecting Jobs’ found that in Ghana, the percentage of workers who reported having a supportive attitude towards co-workers living with HIV increased from 33% to 63%. The report, prepared by the ILO programme on HIV/AIDS in the world of work, summarises the activities of the ILO SHARE project currently active in over 650 workplaces in 24 countries, covering almost 1 million workers. The report tracks changes in attitudes related to HIV and presents a series of good practices and data collected from workplaces, ministries of labour and employer and worker organisations collaborating with the ILO. Over the last four years, the ILO has gathered data from managers and workers at partner workplaces in the six pilot countries to measure the impact of HIV/AIDS activities and non-discrimination policies. Attitudes towards condom use also improved considerably in most countries. In Cambodia, the proportion of workers who reported having a positive attitude towards condom use increased from 34% to 68%. Across all six countries, the percentage of workers who reported using condoms with non-regular partners rose from 74% to 84%. The recorded changes in behaviour could be attributed in part to increased access to HIV services in enterprises in all six countries. At the start of SHARE, in 2003, only 14% of participating enterprises in the six pilot countries had written HIV policies. When the impact survey was conducted, 76% of participating enterprises had written HIV policies in place. The report shows that employer and worker organisations are increasingly using the ILO’s Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS to develop policies and practices for the workplace. “SHARE helps to protect the ILO’s constituents from HIV, which challenges the implementation of its decent work agenda,” says Dr Sophia Kisting, Director of the ILO programme on HIV/AIDS in the world of work. “Several countries offer outstanding examples of how they address HIV/AIDS using the workplace for prevention, care and support, and tackle stigma and discrimination.” Success in developing HIV policies is firmly rooted in the collaboration between workers and their employers. The report highlights a number of policies on HIV/AIDS at the enterprise and national levels, including instances where policies are included in collective bargaining agreements. Overall, 16 of the 24 countries where SHARE is implementing projects have adopted a national tripartite policy or declaration on HIV and the world of work. With 33.2 million people globally living with HIV, a majority of whom are still working and in their most productive years, the workplace is a unique entry point in addressing HIV/AIDS, says the ILO. Source: www.un.org/news, April 15, 2008 |