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

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.