GENEVA – The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the International Organization of Employers (IOE) recently issued a joint statement at the ILO, announcing they were joining forces in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the world of work.
In the statement, entitled "Fighting HIV/AIDS Together: A Programme For Future Engagement", the two ILO social partners call on their affiliates and members to "make a crucial and credible contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS in the workplace."
The statement was issued at the first UN Global Compact Policy Dialogue on HIV/AIDS, hosted by the ILO Programme on HIV/AIDS and the world of work (ILO/AIDS), in collaboration with the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
There is growing evidence that effective workplace programmes on HIV/AIDS make sound business sense – in view of falling productivity and rising labour costs due to AIDS – and that partnership is the best way to implement cost-effective interventions to limit the spread of infection and mitigate its impact. As part of their joint commitment, both the ICFTU and the IOE will explore opportunities to identify and develop joint action programmes in partnership with their national members, and to increase the profile of the problem as well as the resources available to fight the pandemic.
The progress of the joint initiative, and implementation of the ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS, will be discussed at an inter-regional tripartite meeting on best practices in workplace policies and programmes on HIV/AIDS, hosted by the ILO in Geneva on 15-17 December 2003.