Government, employers and workers join forces in fighting HIV/AIDS

Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government, employers and workers organizations declared on Tuesday a tripartite commitment to curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS through workplace prevention programs.

Under the tripartite commitment, the three agreed to use the ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS that covers the recognition of HIV/AIDS as a workplace issue, non-discrimination in employment, gender equality, a healthy work environment, social dialog, no screening for purposes of exclusion from employment or work processes, confidentiality, continuation of employment, prevention and care and support.

"Prevention programs are crucial for curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS, but first we all need to have proper knowledge of HIV/AIDS and the awareness of the problem," said manpower minister Jacob Nuwa Wea, one of the signatories to the tripartite commitment.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla, chair of the Indonesian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Aburizal Bakrie, chair of Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) Suparwanto, chair of Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union (SBSI) Muchtar Pakpahan, chair of Indonesian Workers Union (KSPI) Rustam Aksan, and chair of All-Indonesia Workers Union Federation (FSPSI) Arief Sudjito were all signatories to the agreement.

The commitment was declared in a seminar, Action against HIV/AIDS in the World of Work, which was organized jointly by the International Labor Organization (ILO), Action to Stop AIDS (ASA) Indonesia and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

However, Kadin spokesman Suryo Sulisto said: "Giving priority to HIV/AIDS prevention programs would be difficult for companies because the current economic crisis forces them to prioritize production-related activities over other programs."

"We seek the understanding of other parties that companies might prioritize core business activities until the economic climate improves," he told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the seminar.

Mar'ie Muhammad, chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross, said in the seminar, "As we in Indonesia are close to economic recovery, we should be aware of a new impending crisis. AIDS will damage our economy unless we take immediate steps."

An HIV/AIDS crisis would affect companies with huge decreases in profits through disruptions due to employee absence, increased cost of employee health care, recruitment, training and bereavement allowances, loss of technical skills and declining morale, he said.

"We can pay little now or pay much more later," he said.