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&nbsp;
June 9,&nbsp;2008 
 
 
Viktor Turmanov 
President 
Coal Mining Workers&rsquo; Union of Ukraine (PRUPU) 
117 Posysheva Street 
83000 Donestsk 
UKRAINE 
 
Dear Brother Turmanov, 
 
It was with great sadness that the ICEM learned this morning of the major explosion at the state-owned mine near Yenakiyevo in the central Donbass region of the Ukraine yesterday. We understand that the miners endangered are members of your proud Trade Union, and I write to offer the ICEM&rsquo;s condolences for those who have died, and our greatest hope that rescue efforts will succeed for those who still might be alive inside the mine. 
 
We understand that this particular mine is a low-yielding producer of coal, thus we question why the government even had the mine in operation. Certainly any mining operation that produces coal in Ukraine should and must have the proper methane detection devices and other modern safety equipment in place, and we wonder if this was the case of the mine near Yenakiyevo. 
 
The 20-million-member ICEM, the Global Union Federation for the Mining and Energy sectors, stands behind PRUPA in calling on the new Minister of Coal and other Ukrainian authorities to conduct a full investigation into this tragedy. 
 
Please pass our sincerest condolences to the families of the miners who perished, and know that the ICEM stands with our affiliated Trade Union PRUPU in demanding safe and secure workplaces inside the Ukrainian mining industry. 
 
Fraternally, 
 
Manfred Warda 
General Secretary

ICEM Letter To Ukrainian PRUPU Union on 8 June Mine Tragedy

<img height="39" src="" width="100" alt="" />
At its bi-annual Congress last month, ICEM affiliate Paper &amp; Printing Federation of Thailand (PPFT) elected Amnuay Iemraksa as President of the 6,000-member union. She is the strong and energetic local branch leader at a Kimberly Clark mill in Pathumtahni and is the first woman to lead PPFT, which has members in many paper and paper-related companies across Thailand. 
 
Elected Secretary-General of PPFT was Witaya Inwan, a leader at Rank Group&rsquo;s SIG Combibloc, who played a vital role last year in the reinstatement of Thaneth Jhanluechai at that packaging plant in the Rayong industrial area.
<img height="134" src="" width="149" alt="" />
PPFT's Witaya Inwan and Amnuay Iemraksa
The two are joined on the union&rsquo;s Executive Committee by Sommai Saranjit, another woman who is the leader of a plant-level union at Norske Skog&rsquo;s Singburi Newsprint Mill in Amphur Muang. She led a very successful set of talks at that mill late in 2007, in which Norske Skog management agreed to prohibit all contract labour in production, while limiting only specialized contractors in the performance of maintenance work. 
 
They are joined on the committee by brothers and sisters from the English-speaking newspaper, the Bangkok Post. They include Sister Jarinporn Niyom, and Brothers Worachit Jangsrisook and Prajak Krongsri.
<img height="119" src="" width="120" alt="" />
&nbsp; 
Elected the plant-level President at the Kimberly Clark mill in 2006, Amnuay Iemraksa led a highly successful set of negotiations there a year ago at a primary mill, which produces 135,000 tonnes of paper per year. Those talks gained rights for contract workers to be made permanent when regularized workers retire. She said her main goal as leader of PPFT is to organise more workplaces into the PPFT, to forge greater unity among the plant-level unions of the union, and to win rights for contract and agency workers.

Paper, Printing Federation of Thailand Elects New Activists; Focus Begins on Organising, Contract Wo

<img height="39" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Despite an administrative order in the Philippines requiring a unit of government to render a decision within 60 days once a case has been filed, a year has nearly passed and the Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) has not taken any action on a collective bargaining deadlock. That deadlock is between the Philippine Cement Workers&rsquo; Council (PCWC) and Holcim Philippines Inc. 
<img height="285" src="" width="380" alt="" />
Members of the ICEM affiliate, and nearly 100 supporters, gathered on 28 May in front of the country&rsquo;s Labour offices at Intramuros in Manila and picketed the agency. Besides workers belonging to the UBSEU branch of PCWC, which has been denied a resolve to a collective agreement since an Assumption of Jurisdiction application was filed with DOLE on 29 June 2007, nine other PCWC local unions from Cemex and Lafarge plants also attended the picket. 
 
During the protest, the Philippines Acting Labour Department Secretary came out to speak to protestors. He said no clear date for release of an administrative ruling could be given, since the relevant Filipino officials were out of the country attending the annual ILO Labour Conference in Geneva.
<img height="115" alt="" src="" width="250" />
&nbsp; 
Workers at Holcim, a Swiss-based global producer of cement and building materials, at three operations in the Philippines (Bulacan, Rizal, and La Union), have been without a current contract and denied pay increases since last year. Holcim, the second biggest producer of cement in the Asian country, announced late in May a major expansion at these plants, including construction of three new manufacturing plans and 70 new cement mixes in 2008. 
 
Under the archaic Filipino Assumption of Jurisdiction process, management has an incentive to remain fixed on an initial bargaining position by declaring an early impasse. Once an application has been filed, it is the responsibility of the DOLE Secretary to issue an order, taking up the case. 
<img height="285" src="" width="380" alt="" />
But PCWC contends, the process restricts good-faith social dialogue, and most orders &ndash; when issued &ndash; tend to fall on the side of the employer in the interest of promoting investment in the Philippines. 
 
ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda sent a message that was read at last week&rsquo;s PCWC protests, calling DOLE&rsquo;s failure to rule an &ldquo;act of administrative conspiracy&rdquo; that fails &ldquo;to comply sincerely with ILO Conventions 87 and 98,&rdquo; the global labour standards on freedom of association and the right of collective bargaining. 
 
PCWC has pledged to hold other concerted actions if the Holcim situation is not rectified.

Labour Department Inaction Moves Philippine Cement Workers’ Council to Pickets

<img height="39" src="" width="100" alt="" />
Strategic planning was the focus of an ICEM Latin American/Caribbean Region meeting in Montevideo, Uruguay, from 8-9 May. Following up on ICEM Congress motions, delegates defined actions and activities for the period 2008-2011. 
 
The meeting was attended by members of the regional committee, ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda, ICEM Latin America/Caribbean Vice President Sergio Novais, country project coordinators, regional Contact Person Carol Bruce, as well as Regional Secretary Jorge Almeida of the Federaci&oacute;n Internacional de Trabajadores de las Industrias Metal&uacute;rgios (FITAM), the regional body of the International Metalworkers Federation (IMF).
<img height="165" src="" width="120" alt="" />
ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda&nbsp;
Warda explained the concrete meaning of many decisions made at Congress, including offering means for social dialogue with multinationals and working toward Global Framework Agreements with companies. He noted that in Latin America, Rhodia, Freudenberg, Endesa, Degussa, SCA, Lafarge, and Umicore are companies in which ICEM has agreements. An effective workers&rsquo; rights agenda at those companies can be implemented, he said. 
 
Warda encouraged trade unions in the region to check that these companies adhere to the principals contained in the respective agreements. He also cited Brazilian state oil company Petrobras and the growing global mining house from Brazil, Vale, as companies in which to approach for social dialogue. 
 
The ICEM campaign of Contract and Agency Labour was also thoroughly discussed. Warda said the ICEM is beginning to coordinate this campaign with other Global Union Federations (GUFs) in efforts to counter the worst trends of this phenomenon. It was also noted that in Latin America, there have been excellent examples of meaningful social dialogue with companies on the issue, and that those experiences should be shared with other regions. 
 
The regional committee also moved to commemorate 28 July 2008 as a memorial to the 200 contract workers who lost their lives due to a landslide while constructing a hydroelectric dam 25 years earlier near Ubal&aacute; Cundinamarca, Colombia.
<img height="195" src="" width="260" alt="" />
Brazilian Women March&nbsp;
ICEM&rsquo;s HIV/AIDS policy was also confirmed at the regional meeting, as well the GUF&rsquo;s policy on gender equality. The issue of sustainable development was also introduced. 
 
A major discussion point was cooperation with other GUFs. It was emphasized that GUF cooperation globally is meaningless unless real ties between trade unions are made on the national and regional level. Colombia was cited as one example in which efforts are being made to build a single national trade union centre. 
 
Most countries in Latin America have strong mining economies, but only in a few of those economies does one find a match with equally strong mining unions. It was stressed that mining trade unions must meet the demands that major investment in the sector brings. 
 
Also at the regional conference, the Coordination of Mercosur Trade Unions presented their work. The organisation campaigns for living wage, eradication of child labour, and better distribution of wealth in the region. It has also a working group engaged on the issue of biofuels, as well as a commission encompassing electric power trade unions. 
 
Since all Latin governments in Mercosur are currently progressive and socially-oriented administrations, delegates said it was a good time to draft a model for social development in the region, as well as draft in detail a social charter. The challenge facing the Mercosur Trade Unions is the low degree of efficiency of union organisations, and how to improve that. 
 
The group defined these priorities and conclusions in the region: subcontracting; Global Framework Agreements and trade union rights; HIV/AIDS; the environment; and gender equity. Delegates concluded that networks, social dialogue, and cooperation were the key. 
 
The issue of modernisation of trade union structures and involvement of young workers in the trade union movement was discussed and stressed as imperative in strengthening those structures. This will take further involvement in the ICEM.
<img height="58" src="" width="120" alt="" />
Immediately following the strategic planning conference in Uruguay, ICEM organised a meeting in Buenos Aires with trade unions there to heighten relationships. Germany&rsquo;s Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Foundation (FES) lent valuable assistance in order for this to occur.

ICEM Latin American/Caribbean Region Firms Action Plan for 2008-2011

<img height="126" src="" width="294" alt="" />
UNI-Europa, the European section of the Global Union Federation UNI, signed an agreement in May 2008 with Euriciett, Europe&rsquo;s only association of temporary work agencies. UNI-Europa and Eurociett agreed on a joint declaration related to the draft EU Directive on Agency Work, while UNI also made improvements in a renewed Global Framework Agreement with ISS, a Danish-based company that provides property services worldwide. 
 
UNI-Europa&rsquo;s accord with the umbrella association of temp work agencies &ldquo;recognises the principle of equal treatment from day 1 for temporary agency workers,&rdquo; the same language as contained in the draft EU Directive.
<img height="68" src="" width="140" alt="" />
The text of the document improves on the draft Directive by providing two definitions for the comparability of workers, &ldquo;extending the comparison of the working and employment conditions to those workers doing the same or similar job in the user company.&rdquo; 
 
The agreement also enjoins both parties to a commitment that temporary agency workers should not replace workers who are on strike. 
 
These issues are viewed as sensitive within the industry, as they are important for its public image. Larger agencies like Adecco, Manpower, Randstad, and Vedior are concerned that smaller and mid-size agencies will not follow the rules. 
 
Most agency workers do not work for companies with which UNI is dealing. UNI therefore hopes to first reach an agreement with employers on workers&rsquo; whose interests are directly represented by UNI. After this is signed, possibly in September 2008, it is hoped to extend this to all temporary agency workers, perhaps early next year.
<img height="99" src="" width="70" alt="" />
&nbsp;UNI-Europa Gen. Sec. Bernadette S&eacute;gol 
 

UNI-Europa General Secretary Bernadette S&eacute;gol said, &ldquo;It is now urgent that the EU institutions finally agree on a Directive on (temporary agency work) to protect the interest of workers.&rdquo; UNI-Europa has lobbied the European Commission for the past ten years for a Directive on agency work. 
 
The renewal agreement between UNI and ISS, which employs 440,000 workers 
worldwide, was signed in June and gives staff the right to join unions and to bargain collectively.

UNI-Europa Signs Accord with Temp Work Association; UNI Renews Global Agreement with Danish Firm

<img height="126" src="" width="294" alt="" />
In early 2008, with support from the ICEM CAL Project, workers at German-owned Thai Industrial Gases (TIG), a subsidiary of Linde, and their union TIGLU, signed a milestone agreement with the company. The accord secured their rights to organise TIG workers across Thailand. 
 
TIG/Linde is Thailand&rsquo;s biggest provider of industrial gases. The agreement came only after a struggle, including a month-long protest at all of the company&rsquo;s 13 work sites. It also saw support and pressure by the ICEM and its global affiliates, including ones in Germany, Netherlands, and Belgium.
<img height="181" src="" width="240" alt="" />
This was a remarkable achievement for the TIGLU, which was established only three years ago. 
 
In one situation, jobs had been contracted out first to Adecco. That temporary agency firm was then replaced by an unknown agency, whose address turned out to be a building under construction. This made the agency seem a sham, making it appear that this was an attempt by TIG/Linde to circumvent the union. 
 
Most workers signed the new work agreements, but nine refused and were fired. Reportedly, some who did sign were threatened with dismissal if they got involved in union activities. 
 
In the end, TIG/Linde agreed to reinstate the nine dismissed workers, who were all truck drivers. The company also agreed not to victimise workers by transferring them, a common tactic used by the company. TIG/Linde also agreed to give the 19 agency workers the same conditions as TIG&rsquo;s regular employees.
<img height="77" src="" width="115" alt="" />
TIGLU has also used the Thai labour inspection service to counter bad employment practices at TIG&rsquo;s branch in Saraburi province, a worksite where agency workers had received lower overtime pay, no sick leave payments, and were issued inadequate safety equipment. After the inspection, the employment agency paid the workers in full, but then retaliated by giving them contracts which had to be renewed every three months. 
 
A national campaign in Thailand calling for recognition of workers&rsquo; rights for temporary or agency workers, and their right to unionise and join the same union as permanent workers, has now been started through support of the ICEM campaign. Union networks have been formed to organise and protect agency and contract workers throughout Thailand.

Positive Developments for Agency Workers in Thailand

<img height="126" alt="" src="" width="294" />
Manpower, the second largest employment agency in the world, has announced the creation of a &ldquo;Manpower Equaltreatment&rdquo; subsidiary in Germany. 
 
Thomas Reitz, the head of Manpower-Germany explains: &ldquo;We have recently set up this new subsidiary, Manpower Equaltreatment Gmbh, in which temporary workers will be paid at the same level as the permanent workers of the companies where they work. Other conditions and benefits will also be similar.&rdquo;
<img height="62" src="" width="100" alt="" />
&nbsp; 
 
In doing this, Manpower has given a powerful signal to employers everywhere that the climate regarding temporary work is changing. 
 
&ldquo;We want to remain attractive as an agency, and there is a demand for these kinds of solutions,&rdquo; continued Reitz. 
 
Some collective work agreements within Germany&rsquo;s major industrial enterprises like Audi, BMW, and Airbus already call for temporary and permanent staff to have similar pay and conditions. 
 
Calls for the &ldquo;equal pay for equal work&rdquo; motto in all German enterprises are reinforced by a recent campaign by ICEM affiliate IGBCE and other major trade unions in Germany, which is putting pressure on companies to grant equal pay to temporary workers.
<img height="86" src="" width="68" alt="" />
Manpower estimates that its new Manpower Equaltreatment subsidiary will employ several thousands of temp agency workers in the next few years. It will provide both high-skilled specialty staff and also less-skilled workers. &ldquo;Companies prefer good agency workers,&rdquo; concluded Thomas Reitz, (because) they hope they later become permanent staff, so they need a good pool of workers to choose from.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Equal Pay for All Workers Gains Ground in Germany

<img height="126" src="" width="294" alt="" />
General President Jack O&rsquo;Connor of Ireland&rsquo;s Services, Industrial, Professional, and Technical Union (SIPTU) welcomed the new EU Directive on Agency Work. 
 
In a statement, he said, &ldquo;It will improve people&rsquo;s rights at work in Ireland. Indeed, in the absence of the EU, working conditions in Ireland would still be very primitive. This decision will begin the process of alleviating the plight of tens of thousands of our most vulnerable workers.&rdquo;
<img height="39" src="" width="115" alt="" />
Legislation in Ireland to regulate the use of temporary agency workers has been opposed for years by employers. Although not yet fully adopted, once ratified by the European Parliament, the Directive must be implemented through national legislation within three years. It has thus given a considerable push to people&rsquo;s rights at work in Ireland. 
 
The recent Irish referendum rejecting the Lisbon Treaty would appear to have no effect on the Directive, since existing treaties already cover the details of implementation.

Irish Labour Movement Welcomes EU Directive on Agency Work

<img height="126" alt="" src="" width="294" />
Despite earlier opposition by Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Poland, and the UK, which have stubbornly opposed any compromise agreement for the past five years, the EU&rsquo;s Employment and Social Affairs Council agreed on 10 June 2008 to a draft Directive on Temporary Agency Workers. 
 
Temporary agency work has continued to swell, there can be no denying that. In Denmark, Italy, Spain, and Sweden, for example, it has increased five fold over the past 20 years. In most other EU nations, it has at least doubled in recent years. Each year, some six million workers in the EU are newly registered with agencies. 
 
And in the new member states, it is crucial that minimum employment regulations are established to avoid undercutting already set standards in pay and working conditions.
<img height="76" alt="" src="" width="115" />
More and more, companies are utilising temporary agency workers to cut costs and to increase flexibility, such as allowing them to adjust staffing needs at short notice. 

Employers can find workers with specific skills, when and as needed, without recruitment expenses, or when restructurings or downsizing occurs. 
 
In general, agency workers tend to be less satisfied with their jobs and work conditions than permanent staff. They also tend to have less control over their work, receive less training, have higher accident rates, and perform more shift work than permanent workers. Mostly, they get lower wages for similar work, and are excluded from bonuses and benefits. They also have less job security. 
 
The EU Directive would set minimum European-wide standards that create a level playing field for all companies in all member-states. The Directive is also aimed at stimulating the EU as a knowledge-based economy. 
 
The draft Directive currently states that temporary agency workers must not be treated less favourably regarding basic work conditions (pay, working time, rest periods, holidays, etc.) than permanent workers doing &ldquo;comparable&rdquo; work, a principle that would apply as of day 1. 
 
Exceptions would be permitted to this principle where the social partners come to an agreement at the national level, as recently happened in the UK, for example, where agency workes are to get equal treatment after 12 weeks, six more than what is proposed in the EU Directive.

European Directive on Agency Work Gets Closer to Passage

<img height="35" src="" width="25" alt="" />
HIV/AIDS Project in India Launched 
 
The ICEM HIV/AIDS Project, in cooperation with affiliates in India and sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, a German world leader in pharmaceuticals, was launched with a planning workshop in Delhi on 3-4 July. 
 
The workshop was attended by 16 participants from ICEM affiliates in the cement, diamond, chemicals, and coal mining sectors. The workshop benefited from the participation of SM Afsar, Technical Specialist, HIV/AIDS South Asia, and National Programme Coordinator, HIV/AIDS and the World of Work, and his assistant, Joshila. Coal India Limited was represented by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer of a regional coal mine, Dr Anurag Verma. The talk by Ms. Bhagwati, an HIV+ person invited by the ILO, was exceptional. She radiated will-power and confidence. 
 
At the beginning of the implementation phase of the project, the ILO will do the initial training of a select group of master trainers from coal mining, chemicals, diamonds, and the cement sectors as technical support. This will be based on their trainers&rsquo; manual for HIV/AIDS peer educators. These master trainers will, in turn, train the peer educators. 
 
The course for master trainers will be held in Kolkata, 18-20 August. In September 2008, the training of peer educators/lay counsellors by the master trainers will commence. It is envisaged that 500 peer educators will be trained (400 mining, 50 cement, and 25 each for chemicals and diamonds). 
 
With the conclusion of the training of the peer educators, they will carry it to workers, family members, and members of the community. In the period to December 2009, each peer educator should reach 1,000 people. This is ambitious, but participants were enthusiastic and confident that this goal can be achieved. 
&nbsp;<img height="35" src="" width="25" alt="" />
CEP Humanity Fund Supports HIV/AIDS Project in Nigeria 
 
The Communications, Energy, Paperworkers (CEP) Union of Canada agreed to support a joint project in cooperation with the ICEM HIV/AIDS Project and affiliates in Nigeria. Through the union&rsquo;s Humanity Fund, CEP is contributing to train HIV/AIDS counsellors within ICEM&rsquo;s two oil and gas union affiliates, NUPENG and PENGASSAN. 
 
The project will extend ICEM&rsquo;s work in Nigeria in training peer counsellors to provide HIV and AIDS awareness, education, and testing for workers and their families. 
 
CEP&rsquo;s Humanity Fund is unique in that funding comes through negotiated agreements with Canadian employers. To date, some 100 CEP locals, numbering 30,000 workers, have successfully negotiated payments into the Humanity Fund with employers. In 2007, contributions to the Humanity Fund increased by 30%. The CEP currently is also funding a project in partnership with the F&eacute;d&eacute;ration des Travailleurs de Qu&eacute;bec on HIV/AIDS awareness with an oil workers&rsquo; union in Chad. 
 
CEP heralds the fund as not charity, but rather solidarity in &ldquo;building partnerships with workers&rsquo;, community, and women&rsquo;s organisations in developing countries.&rdquo; 
&nbsp;<img height="35" src="" width="25" alt="" />
News from Affiliates 
 
ICEM affiliates in Nepal have mainstreamed HIV/AIDS in Occupational Safety and Health training. In a workshop, attended by 31 participants and resource persons, information on transmission and prevention was given. Participants resolved to intensify awareness campaigns at the grass-root level. 
 
NUPENG and PENGASSAN, ICEM affiliates in Nigeria, continued their successful HIV/AIDS activities with a training workshop for peer educators/lay counsellors in Ibadan on 4-6 June 2008. The workshop was organised by national HIV/AIDS coordinator Olawale Afolabi. Twelve unionists received intensive training on peer education and counselling skills. Resource persons from SMARTWork facilitated technical sessions of the workshop. 
 
The United Mineworkers&rsquo; Union (UMU) of Sierra Leone organised two workshops at the end of May. The workshops were aimed at building capacity for shop stewards, grassroots diggers, and community members, and to promote behaviour change and advocacy of VCT. 
 
In Zambia, ICEM affiliates Mineworkers&rsquo; Union of Zambia (MUZ) and the National Union of Commercial and Industry Workers (NUCIW) have started on a series of follow-up workshops for peer educators to ascertain the achievements and difficulties faced by peer educators trained in previous years. Long working hours and the unwillingness of management to allow time for talks on HIV/AIDS were cited as the main difficulties. 
 
In C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire, national coordinator Charlotte Nguessan organised a training course for VCT counsellors from the unions. The course was spread over five weekends and included pre- and post-test counselling and practical cases at CIRBA, a medical centre which also facilitated the training. 
&nbsp;<img height="35" src="" width="25" alt="" />
ICEM Sub-Saharan Women Draft Women&rsquo;s Charter; Global Women&rsquo;s Committee Adopts Action Plan on Zimbabwe 
 
The Women&rsquo;s Committee of ICEM&rsquo;s Sub-Saharan Africa Region met in Accra, Ghana, on 5-7June to draft a women&rsquo;s charter for Africa. After a brainstorming session, three major issues were identified: decent work, gender justice, and HIV/AIDS. 
 
In relation to HIV/AIDS, the women unionists from ten Sub-Saharan African countries discussed cultural features, such as polygamy and female genital mutilation, which present particular challenges to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. 
 
The ICEM Women&rsquo;s Committee, meeting in Geneva on 19 June, adopted an Action Plan on Zimbabwe. The violence by the bankrupt ZANU-PF government has hit women particularly hard. Those affected by HIV/AIDS are most vulnerable. Proper treatment to prevent spread from mother to child is not available. In their desperation, women have become commercial sex workers and hence, add to the spread of the virus. 
 
Operations of all NGOs, which have been a major conduit for HIV/AIDS services, have been suspended. Although it was reported that more than 400 organisations working in the HIV/AIDS sector would be allowed to operate again, war veterans and ZANU-PF militants have prevented them doing their valuable work in areas of dire need. 
&nbsp;<img height="35" src="" width="25" alt="" />
UN High-level Meeting on HIV/AIDS &ndash; Union Leader Speaks up on Workplace Interventions 
 
The UN General Assembly organised a high-level meeting on 10-11 June to review progress on the 2001 Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the 2006 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS. 
 
While progress has been made on reducing infections, bringing down the death rate, and increasing the number of people on anti-retroviral treatment (ART), the number of people newly infected still outnumber the number of people who have been treated in 2007 by five-to-two, i.e. 2.5 million newly infected as compared to one million on ART (see article below). 
 
During the civil society hearing, workplace responses were addressed by Romano Ojiambo Ochieng, General Secretary of the Ugandan Amalgamated Transport and General Workers&rsquo; Union. He emphasised that HIV/AIDS is a workplace issue, linked to the broader issues of economic growth and sustainable development. 
 
The potential of the workplace as a vital entry point for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programmes continues to be overlooked. Many national plans to fight the pandemic still lack a strategy for the world of work. 
 
Many companies began to act when they realised that HIV/AIDS programmes were not only good for corporate social responsibility, but also essential for corporate self-interest, evening some cases, the company&rsquo;s survival. The position of labour unions in the workplace makes them ideally placed to help workers who are reluctant to submit to testing for fear of discrimination. 
 
Ochieng came out with a number of recommendations, including companies seeking new co-investment opportunities must collaborate with unions to strengthen the impact of interventions; to increase investment in training for union activists; to introduce policies keeping with the ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the world of work; and representation of unions and employers on national HIV/AIDS consultative and policy-making bodies. 
 
(Sources: UN Press Releases and ITF HIV/AIDS Update 46 of 1 July) 
&nbsp;<img height="35" src="" width="25" alt="" />
Three Million Now Receiving Life-saving Drugs 
 
The close of 2007 marks an important step in the history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Nearly three million people are now receiving anti-retroviral treatment (ART) in low- and middle-income countries, according to a new report jointly launched on 2 June by WHO, UNAIDS, and UNICEF. 
 
The report, Towards Universal Access: Scaling Up Priority Interventions in the Health Sector, also points to other gains. These include improved access to interventions aimed at preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), and expanding testing and counselling. 
 
According to the authors of the report, the close of 2007 saw nearly one million more people receiving ART, bringing the total to almost three million. This figure was the target of the 3x5 initiative that sought to have three million HIV-positive people on treatment by the end of 2005. Although that target was not achieved until two years later, it is widely credited with jump-starting the push towards ART scale-up. 
 
(Source: WHO press release, 2 June) 
&nbsp;<img height="35" src="" width="25" alt="" />
Risk Factors for Spread of HIV in Afghanistan High 
 
Although the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is relatively low in Afghanistan, the country&rsquo;s Ministry of Public Health recently said that the potential risk factors for the spread of the virus are high. These include war, poverty, illiteracy, massive internal and external displacement, the existence of commercial and unsafe sex, and unsafe injection practices and blood transfusions. 
 
There is widespread stigma and a lack of awareness about the disease in Afghanistan. The World Bank has granted US$10 million to the country&rsquo;s Health Ministry for identifying and creating public awareness among groups most at risk of HIV/AIDS. 
 
(Source: <a href="http://www.news–medical.net">www.news&ndash;medical.net</a>, published 28 May and based on a report by Reuters) 
&nbsp;<img height="35" src="" width="25" alt="" />
News from the Global Union Programme and Global Unions 
 
In its most recent HIV/AIDS Updates, the International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITF) (<a href="http://www.itfglobal.org">www.itfglobal.org</a>) reports, among other things, on the publication of the ILO report entitled &ldquo;Saving Lives, Protecting Jobs&rdquo; on the SHARE project. According to the report, workplace attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS and acceptance of condom use and other preventive measures have increased in the countries covered by the SHARE project. 
 
It further reports on inroads made against the epidemic in Cambodia and the dangers of a potential increase of infections in Sri Lanka because of the large number of commercial sex workers, internally displaced people and migrant workers. In Kiev, the ITF organised an Eastern European sub-regional HIV/AIDS workshop.

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