Global Union Action on HIV/AIDS

Posted to the IUF website 01-Dec-2003

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The IUF 2002 24th Congress drew attention to the devastating impact of AIDS and HIV, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where the epidemic has affected millions of workers and their families. The impact has been particularly severe in agriculture, with the death of over 7 million agricultural workers since 1985 and 16 million additional deaths anticipated over the next two decades.

Alongside the toll in lives, the epidemic has brought with it an enormous upsurge in poverty and a significant decline in food production.

Congress also stressed "that agriculture is not the only sector in IUF�s jurisdiction to suffer drastically from the impact of HIV/AIDS, hotel and tourism workers are also greatly at risk. Africa is not the only continent affected, HIV/AIDS is a global crisis."

The policy resolution on union action in the global HIV/AIDS crisis called on affiliates and the secretariat to work with governments and appropriate UN agencies to ensure that information and resources on HIV/AIDS prevention are made available to unions representing workers in vulnerable sectors, to campaign for the provision of essential drugs at locally affordable prices, to negotiate training and prevention measures and ensure non-discrimination in collective bargaining agreements and to work with governments for the implementation of effective national prevention policies, among other measures.

On December 1, World AIDS Day, the international trade union movement has launched a global HIV/AIDS campaign to combat the spread of the virus through union action in the world of work. More information is available by following this link to the web site of the ICFTU, which is coordinating the campaign.