ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the world of work

1
ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the world of
work
Dr. Benjamin O. Alli Turin, July 2006
2
An ILO code of practice on HIV/AIDSand the world
of work
ILO CODEOF PRACTICE
Adopted by the Governing Bodyof the ILO on 22
June 2001
3
WHAT IS THE CODE OF PRACTICE?

• A set of guidelines for governments, employers
  and
• workers to help them develop concrete responses
  to
• HIV/AIDS at the enterprise, community and
  national
• levels
• The Code
• Takes a rights-based approach
• Is the result of tripartite consensus
• Balances the rights and responsibilities of
  workers and employers

4
WHAT ARETHE OBJECTIVESOF THE CODE?

• Prevent spread of HIV
• Combat stigma and discrimination
• Mitigate the impactof HIV and AIDS
• Provide care and support

5
Scope of the ILO Code of Practice
3.1 Scope This code applies to (a) all
employers and workers (including applicants for
work) in the public and private sectors
and (b) all aspects of work, formal and
informal Source ILO Code of Practice on
HIV/AIDS and the World of Work, page 2.
6
ILO CODEOF PRACTICE
RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• of governments
• of employers
• of workers

7
The Code governments rights and responsibilities

• The Code entails General rights and
  responsibilities of the government and their
  competent authorities
• Coherence Governments should ensure coherence
  in national HIV/AIDS strategy and programmes,
  recognizing the importance of including the world
  of work in national plans, for example by
  ensuring that the composition of national AIDS
  councils includes representatives of employers,
  workers, people living with HIV/AIDS and of
  ministries responsible for labour and social
  matters

8
10 Key PrinciplesTo be applied to all workplaces
Continuation of Employment relationship
HIV/AIDS is a workplace issue
Prevention
Social Dialogue
Confidentiality
Care and support
No HIV screening for purposes of employment
Gender equality
Non-discrimination
Healthy work environment
9
The Code governments rights and responsibilities

• Prevention and promotion instigate and work in
  partnership with social partners to promote
  awareness
• ? Education
• ? Information
• ? Training
• Social Protection benefits under national laws
  and regulations apply to workers with HIV/AIDS

10
The Code governments rights and responsibilities

• Legislation provide the relevant regulatory
  framework revise labour laws
• Conditionalities for government support
  Provision of start up funding and incentives for
  national and international enterprises should
  require adherence to national laws and the code
• Mitigation promote public healthcare, social
  security systems etc
• ?Care and support
• ?Reasonable accommodation
• ? Social Protection

11
The Code governments rights and responsibilities

• The role of Care and support
• Promote workplace and community solidarity
• Mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS
• Reinforce prevention
• Making it possible for those with AIDS to stay at
• work
• Helps their health and their income
• Minimises disruption and replacement costs
• Creates an open and accepting environment that
  promotes education and behaviour change

12
THE ISSUE OF TREATMENT AT THE WORKPLACE

• Where they can, and with support from other
  partners ,
• workplaces should offer all possible health
  services to
• prevent and manage HIV/AIDS
• These could include the provision of
  antiretroviral
• drugs, plus treatment for the relief of
  HIV-related
• symptoms and the more common opportunistic
  infections
• Governments should encourage initiatives aimed at
  
• reducing the cost of, and improving access
  to,
• antiretroviral drugs

13
The Code governments rights and responsibilities

• Workers in informal activities adapt their
  HIV/AIDS
• programmes to such workers
• Hence, Ministries of Labour are integral to the
  national
• response for mitigation of the impact of the
  epidemic on
• Labour markets.
• This involves review of policy environment and
  support
• for legislation and other policy changes
  supportive of
• workplace programmes and the national response
  to
• AIDS In areas such a discrimination in
  employment, HIV
• testing as a condition for employment, etc.

14
Implementation of the Code by governments
Role of labour and social Ministries
Planning of labour resources
HIV/AIDS policies and programmes at
every workplace

• Legal and policy framework
• reform labour laws to take account to AIDS
  and/or
• include the workplace in national AIDS plans

15
Recommendations for future collaboration

• Commitment to HIV/AIDS action at the highest
  political level review existing labour related
  legislation and establish the necessary legal and
  policy framework with respect to HIV/AIDS
  prevention, care and support, in keeping the ILO
  Code of practice on HIV/AIDS
• Develop and implement national HIV/AIDS policies
  and activities with the participation of social
  partners and NGOs.
• Develop a comprehensive information and
  communication strategy targeting different
  groups of society.

16
Recommendations for future collaboration

• Consider ratification of ILO conventions, related
  to HIV/AIDS in the workplace, in accordance with
  the ILO Code.
• Initiate studies on data collection on the
  national HIV/AIDS situation and on its social and
  economic consequences.
• Incorporation of issues regulating the rights and
  responsibilities of social partners vis-à-vis
  prevention and care in the General Agreement.
• Provide employers with incentives to implement
  workplace policies on HIV/AIDS
• Develop/promote public-private partnerships.