In 2003 an effort was initiated to get employers put in place a policy on HIV and Aids in their workplace. Two weeks ago, nine companies officially committed to the agreement and today another popular business establishment joined in the fight to eliminate the discrimination and stop the spread of HIV and Aids. Jacqueline Godwin reports.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
This bulletin board that hangs in the hallway of the offices of Unicomer, the company for Courts Belize Limited and Tropigas displays the level of commitment to the HIV/Aids Workplace Policy. Today Unicomer was the tenth and final company in the first phase of the programme’s implementation to sign the policy agreement.
Keith Slater, Managing Director – Unicomer
“This is a programme that we’re putting forward that protects the employees and the employer of course and it means that it is a structure upon which we hang out hat on and that we use going forward. It is not just a document that will be filed away, this is going to be something that we carry on with as part of our training.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Gina how did you get 212 employees on board?
Gina Gainford, Training Coordinator - Unicomer Belize Ltd.
“Well it hasn’t been much of a challenge. A lot of the employees have been very positive towards being educated about HIV and Aids and having the policy put in place because they do realize the policy is in place to help them if they do become infected or they are affected by this virus. The first objective is to educate and try and get rid of the fear and discrimination and stigma of HIV and Aids in the company, educating on HIV and Aids, opportunities for infection, transmission from mother to child and so forth. Then also increasing the use of condoms which is something that PASMO has been working very closely with us on. They have been doing presentations throughout the branches countrywide and also we hope to have a voluntary testing day.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
How do you see the program moving forward with all of these companies now responding favourably to it?
Hertha Gentle Barber, Senior Labour Officer
“I see the program moving in a way where we will have more companies than we have human resources to take care of them really. We are getting ready to target a new set of companies so it will be wonderful to have people simply calling us rather than we have to be going to them.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
I know when it just started it was a bit of a challenge, did you expect this kind of response?
Hertha Gentle Barber,
“Yes I did. I think what happen is most people still associate HIV with dying and with the information coming out, I think eventually we will see people start shifting that view and I definitely believe that is what has been happening for us to be here at this point where now we have Unicomer out of 14 companies, being company #10 to sign on.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
And equally important is that through the educational awareness, people are also finding out that not because your co-worker happens to be HIV positive or Aids that that means you can get the virus.
Hertha Gentle Barber,
“Exactly and one of the big things about any company working with us or any policy that people sign is to ensure that there is a major component as it relates to education. The education is paramount because if people don’t know then that is where you have myths and everything and that is when the environment won’t be supportive. So it is wonderful to see that they have put in their policy things that will take care of those myths.”
The HIV and Aids workplace initiative started six years ago. Reporting for 7News Jacqueline Godwin.