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Jamaican business leaders join AIDS lobby
By Simone Brown, Freelance Writer
A cross-section of business leaders in Jamaica has committed to work to eliminate HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination in the workplace through the Jamaica Business Council on HIV/AIDS (JaBCHA).
Top executives and business leaders representing 19 companies in various industry sectors formally signed the JaBCHA’s constitution on Wednesday September 20, 2006. Led by the Jamaica Employers Federation (JEF), the council’s mission is to facilitate a structured Jamaican business response to mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS by adopting policy, prevention and treatment strategies at the workplace.
Audrey Hinchcliffe, president of the JEF said the council would comprise of members of the business sector who are keen on developing appropriate strategy to eliminate stigma and discrimination in the workplace against persons living with HIV/AIDS. The Council will also encourage and support the design and implementation of appropriate workplace policies to deal with the issue.
“We are launching with the strong foundation of having an established constitution, a framework for operating and a tentative work plan for guiding initial activities of the council,” she said.
She said the 19 companies have committed to put in place written policies on HIV/AIDS within a short time. This, she added, will be greatly effective in reducing the incidence of discrimination and stigma that is unfortunately still practised against persons living with HIV/AIDS in some less enlightened companies.”
She expressed alarm at the rapid rate of spread of the disease in the region, even as she said Jamaicans are still exposed to the horror stories of individuals who have been heinously mistreated. A study out of the Health Economics Unit at the University of the West Indies (UWI) indicates that last year more than six percent (6%) of Jamaica’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP) was lost as a result of HIV/AIDS,
“Unfortunately some of us have buried our heads in the sand like the proverbial image of the Ostrich, believing that if we ignore it, it will have no impact on us. Sadly this approach will achieve the reverse,” she said.
Meanwhile Chief of Epidemiology & AIDS in the Jamaica Ministry of Health, Dr Peter Figueroa in welcoming the initiative said it represents an important milestone in the country’s response to the epidemic.
“It makes good business sense to have an HIV policy and programme at the workplace as it helps to protect the workforce from AIDS and promote their health and welfare,” he said.
He further added that it also helps to avoid disruption at work due to ignorance or myths about AIDS. Another important aim, he informed, is to reduce the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS as well as prevents discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDS at the workplace.
“Unfortunately this is still a problem in Jamaica which needs to be addressed and the Business Council is best suited to do so effectively,’ he said.
But even as he lauded the efforts he was adamant that there is no justification for excluding persons living with HIV from the workplace. As such he said it is important that the JEF bring their policy on HIV testing fully in line with the National Policy, which is consistent with International best practice and the established guidelines of the International Labour Organization.
“Our national policy, which was adopted unanimously by parliament states that HIV testing should not be conducted for purposes of employment,” he said.
This argument was well supported by Rodney Davis, chairman of the council and president and CEO of Cable and Wireless Jamaica Limited who pointed out that the response to the threat posed by HIV/AIDS should be treated in the same way as any other business threat.
At the same time, Davis warned that the Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME), which facilitates the freedom of movement within the region’s labour market, has the unintended potential of creating a new avenue for the spread of HIV/AIDS.
“To minimise any major threat from this source, the Jamaica Council will engage business leaders across the region and throughout the hemisphere as part of a wider business response that will be both good for people and economic development,” he said.
In a survey conducted for the Jamaica Employers’ Federation (JEF) in February 23 companies with a total of 23,000 employees were interviewed and 62 per cent of them did not have HIV-specific workplace policy. Additionally, 13 per cent stated that they would not hire applicants who disclosed an HIV-positive status.
It is estimated that 22,000 Jamaicans are living with HIV/AIDS, but there is no detailed outline of how many of the infected are actually in the workplace, even though it is believed that one in every four workplaces has an HIV positive employee.
As a key link to employers, the JEF has already coupled with the Ministry of Health, under National AIDS Programme is assisting approximately 40 companies to develop their own HIV/AIDS workplace policies.
The 19 founding member companies of the council includes: Bank of Nova Scotia Limited (Ltd); Cable and Wireless Ltd; Capital and Credit Financial Group Ltd; COK Co-operative Credit Union; Grace Kennedy Ltd
Guardian Life Ltd ;Island Grill; Jamaica Broilers Group Ltd; Jamaica National Building Society; Jamaica Pegasus Hotel; LASCO Group of Companies; Life of Jamaica Ltd; Manpower Maintenance Service Ltd; National Commercial Bank Ltd; Paymaster Jamaica Ltd; Red Stripe Diageo and Restaurant Associates Ltd.
October, 2006 |
