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Aids crucial labour issue—Malewezi
By
Aubrey Mchulu - 12-08-2002 |
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Vice President Justin Malewezi said on Friday Aids is a crucial work place issue that holds serious implications for national and regional economies because it undermines efforts to guarantee decent productive work to women and men.
Malewezi, speaking in Blantyre during the recognition event for the HIV/Aids work-place education and policy development, said it is for this reason that the work place is an ideal place for fighting against HIV/Aids.
He said the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training in partnership with Project Hope International has developed a policy on HIV/Aids in the work-place which should help to protect the rights and dignity of workers and all people living with HIV/Aids.
The policy, among other things, provides for legislation to provide the relevant regulatory framework and revise labour laws to eliminate work-place discrimination based on HIV status.
The HIV/Aids education in the work-place project is funded by the United States Department of Labour and is conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Labour with Project Hope as an implementing agency.
Other stakeholders to the programme include the Employers Consultative Association of Malawi, Shire Bus Lines, Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Health, National Aids Control Programme, Congress of Malawi Trade Unions and the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions.
Labour Minister Alice Sumani said the programme, launched in November 2000 and to end in December 2003, has made positive contributions to capacity building in the organisations involved.
Celetse Helm, coordinator of the US Department of Labour international HIV/Aids work-place education programme, said HIV/Aids is affecting the most skilled and productive sectors of world economies.
“To win the war against HIV/Aids spread every sector of society must be involved in the fight by taking part in educating, informing and caring for those infected as well as protecting those not infected,” she said.
Project Hope International vice president Mark Anderson said companies should take part in HIV/Aids education because, he observed, HIV/Aids’ increasing toll is costing businesses a lot in death benefit claims, funerals and high training costs.
Anderson said the bottom line is for management and workers in all companies and organisations to be told to avoid discriminating against those workers living with HIV/Aids.
Recipient organisations for meeting set standards conducive to HIV positive employees and promoting HIV/Aids education are Admarc, Bowler Beverages, BP Malawi, Escom, Lever Brothers, Kawalazi Estates Limited, Malawi Defence Force, Malawi Police, Ministry of Agriculture, Portland Cement and Shire Bus Lines.
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