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Trade Unions in the Sub-region meet on
HIV and AIDS
Abuja, March 20, GNA - The General Secretary of Nigeria’s
Labour Congress, Mr John Odah has called on breakaway unions
from the Ghana’s Trade Union Congress (TUC) to consider
coming back together as a unified union.
“As workers, we need to come together to get one voice when
it comes to dealing with government and we will not be able
to achieve that if there is disintegration”.
Mr Odah made the call at a three-day sub-regional Global
Unions Coordinating meeting on HIV and AIDS in Abuja,
Nigeria organized by Global Unions in collaboration with the
Nigeria Labour Congress.
The meeting is being attended by about 21 participants drawn
from the various trade unions in Ghana and Nigeria.
Participants are discussing trade unions in the two
countries and their activities in the fight against HIV and
AIDS, Global Union Funds and national centres on HIV and
AIDS, mainstreaming HIV activities at the national,
organizational and workplace levels as well as establishing
and agreeing on the needed guidelines and measurement
criteria to achieve the goals in the fight against HIV and
AIDS.
Mr Odah explained that the breakaway of Ghana’s Industrial
and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) Ghana came as a shock to
the other trade unions in the sub region, adding, “We saw
the unity in the trade union in Ghana as a shinning example
that other trade unions in the sub region are replicating
until the news of the breakaway came”.
He also entreated the Ghana National Association Teachers
(GNAT) to also consider joining the TUC to enable them have
a common voice and achieve a common goal for the betterment
of their workers.
Mr Odah said HIV had a great impact on the world’s work by
reducing skills and productivity whilst stigmatization and
discrimination against such workers threatened their rights
and jobs. Millions of people in the sub-region are living
with HIV and AIDS with most of them being workers.
He said Trade Unions were the key actors at the workplace
and were well placed to help fight the epidemic through
advocating for increase in funds for HIV activities as well
as lobbying for affordable prices of Antiretroviral drugs
and the development of policies and programmes for
prevention; treatment, care and protection of their rights.
Mr Odah urged Global Unions to work with employers, the
International Labour Organisation and other bodies to
establish inter-national standards and guidelines to protect
rights and promote action.
Mrs Clementine Dehwe Global Unions HIV and AIDS Coordinator
for the Public Services International Office said Unions
around the world had responded to the HIV and AIDS epidemic
and had agreed to join forces in order to bring the combined
strength of their mass organization into the global
struggle.
She noted that the Global Unions have a goal of making HIV
and AIDS a priority for all trade unions, develop
partnerships with relevant organizations at all levels,
mobilize resources and help trade unions to take actions in
their own organizations and the workplace.
She urged the various trade unions to protect the rights of
the people at their workplace against stigma,
discrimination, compulsory testing and dismissal. They
should also support behavioural change, develop HIV
agreements with employers by putting in place policies and
programmes at workplaces in both the public and private
sectors.
“You can also help reduce risk by promoting occupational
safety and health and address social, economic and political
factors that increase risk; promote access to care and
treatment and encourage people to test in an atmosphere of
trust and non-discrimination.
You should work with employers and governments to include
strategies for the workplace in national HIV and AIDS plans
and ensure that HIV and AIDS is on the agenda of every trade
union”, she advised.
Mrs Dehwe pledged Global Unions AIDS Programmes continuous
support for activities at the various country level,
mainstream HIV and AIDS in labour‘s sustainable development,
gender and youth agendas among other initiatives.
Mr Daniel Owusu Boatey, Occupational Safety and Environment/
HIV and AIDS Desk Officer of Ghana’s TUC who gave the
country’s situation report said the main objectives of the
organized labour were to eliminate prejudice and
discrimination from the workplace, establish safe and
healthy working conditions and provide basic health care for
labour members.
He noted that the Union had developed HIV and AIDS Policy,
included in the Collective Bargaining Agreements, developed
policies, developed HIV and AIDS curriculum and was being
taught as a subject at the labour training institution.
Mr Boatey explained that despite the achievements, the Union
was faced with challenges such as lack of commitment on the
part of organized labour, non recognition of the HIV and
AIDS Desk, lack of funding to continue with the education
and training for workers and employers as well as their
families at the workplace and communities.
He however cautioned that HIV and AIDS was a threat to
organized labour and not withstanding the decline in the
prevalence from 3.1 per cent to 2.7 per cent, it should be
seen as a great challenge to ensure its further reduction.
“It should also be seen as an opportunity for all
stakeholders to initiate and sustain all local projects to
further reduce the prevalence”.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the
breakaway, Mr Boatey explained that there was always a way
of settling differences and since as workers “we agree and
disagree, I believe in the saying; United we stand divided
we fall and ICU should consider coming back so we can have
one unified body with a common voice so we can achieve a
common goal”.
Ms Helena Awurusa HIV and AIDS Coordinator of GNAT
criticised the new Labour Law that allowed even two people
to form a union saying it was not too good for unionism and
called for a second look at that law.
GNA
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