By VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG
IN line with the resolve of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa), the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and the NLC G8 campaign activities to solicit support for implementation of the ILO Recommendation 200 on HIV/AIDS in the world of work, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, last week met with the Canadian High Commissioner in Abuja, Mr. Chris Cooter.

In a statement, Secretary, NLC HIV/AIDS Committee, Comrade Maureen Onyia, who led the delegation, said  their demands is for the  upcoming G8 Summit in Chicago, USA to focus on implementation of UN declaration on HIV/AIDS; commit resources to replenish the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and to include the political declaration and Global Fund commitments of G8 countries under its Accountability Framework.

She said the visit was to present the demands and to garner support of Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper while the NLC has also urged  President Goodluck Jonathan to invite President Barrack Obama as host of the Summit.

“Since the beginning of the AIDS response, unions have argued that work place should be an HIV discrimination-free zone. Unfortunately, employment remains one of the major settings for HIV related discrimination and work place HIV/TB prevention programmes are underutilised elements in global AIDS response.

Trade unions have long advocated an expansion of work place prevention programmes, especially now since the workplace will be a key venue for implementing a “treatment as prevention” strategy.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress had fruitful discussion at the Canadian High Commission in Nigeria and hope that the Canadian government would follow up on other G8 countries and help African countries to perform a similar analysis as part of international efforts to strengthen national processes for monitoring and implementing the recommendation.”

On their call for Canada support, she said: “Why the unions feel Canada needs to strengthen its own future commitments and policy frameworks for HIV/AIDS, they want Canada to vigorously exert leadership to G8 governments to do the same and to advance a stronger pathway for attaining UNAIDS’s getting to zero AIDS strategy.

“As declaration signatories and having previously pledged to reach universal access by 2010, G8 members-states have a special obligation to ensure that the declaration’s targets and commitments are realised, including through the action in the world of work.”