Strengthening Trade Union Global Action on HIV/AIDS Future strategy: Workplace action and cooperation with civil society and other organizations Alan Leather GUAP

Key issues Context Current Economic Crisis /Globalisation generally/Climate Change Rising unemployment – negative impact on union membership Rising migration and it’s implications Challenges to union capacity to respond: Existing Collective Agreements under threat Employers making unilateral decisions to reduce pay, withhold pay, and/or make workers redundant, challenging existing rights Membership looking for leadership response

PLANNING What do unions need to do? Keep HIV/AIDS as a priority on the union agenda – executive cttees, conferences Ensure there is a union policy on HIV/AIDS – including reference to + members Collective agreements should include clauses on HIV/AIDS

PLANNING Make sure that persons are responsible for carrying out HIV/AIDS union policies Have a resource raising strategy including putting an item in union budget for work on HIV/AIDS Develop union training programme Integrate HIV/AIDS in union training programmes esp. on rights, gender and OHS Have system for monitoring progress

Need to strengthen the trade union voice By forming alliances among trade unions at local, regional and national level Sharing resources and experience through networking Ensure there is a trade union representative on national policy making bodies eg CCMs, National AIDS Committees Engage with employer organisations in developing joint responses to HIV/AIDS including public employers Have strategic approach to working with other non governmental organisations

Issues related to cooperation with NGOs What are the main concerns? Do we share a similar approach to the issues at stake? Is there enough of a basis for common understanding in order to work on some specific issues? Are there policy issues we could work on together? Could we share resources? Would joint resource raising be possible?

Other organizations ILO/AIDS – intensive programme of activities including HIV/AIDS focal point in many countries UNAIDS – provides technical assistance WHO – HIV/AIDS dedicated staff National missions and technical assistance programmes e.g. DFID, GTZ, SIDA World Bank – sector specific HIV/AIDS programmes in certain countries Academic institutions – undertaking research on workplace programmes

Other organisations World AIDS Campaign Recognised the role of trade unions - MoU GUAP programme on their Global Steering Committee Have provided some assistance to trade unions Recently developed resource – Labour Advocacy Kit

Future activities 2010 Strengthen Recommendation and develop implementation strategy June ILC, Geneva ITUC Congress – HIV/AIDS resolution, June, Canada G8 – Universal Access by 2010, June, Canada G20 - will it take on the G8 commitments? International AIDS Conference, July, Vienna

Conclusions Trade unions have made enormous progress but there are still some major hurdles We need to utilise our capacity more efficiently and effectively We need to inform a wider audience what trade unions have achieved and are achieving day to day We need to raise the resources commensurate with our membership base.

Conclusions We need to coordinate better at all levels – national, regional and global We should look for every opportunity to unify our efforts