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"Trade Union
Capacity Building - HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care"-Implemented
in India by INTUC in collaboration with the Solidarity
Center
1
Broad Activities
2
Involvement of trade Unions on
HIV/AIDS programmes
3
Obstacles/challenges faced by trade
unions
4
Resource Center
Broad Activities
A brief outline of the activities of the project is as
follows:
-
Training of
Trainers (ToT): Residential workshops are conducted
periodically on basics of HIV/AIDS - prevention and care;
HIV/AIDS, gender and sexuality linkages; and work place
interventions on HIV/AIDS emphasizing the role of trade
unions. As a result, a group of trained union leaders have
been prepared who are conducting awareness workshops with
workers in all states mentioned above. Corporate linkages
have alos been strethened in some of the states such as
Brakes India Ltd. (Tamil Nadu) and HMT (Bangalore,
Karnataka).
-
A Training Kit
has been prepared including training modules, training film
and posters to enable trainers in conducting awareness
workshop using participatory techniques. This material is
disseminated to all the trainers during ToT workshops. The
training kit includes:
- Module 1: HIV/AIDS: Basic Facts
- Module 2: Gender, Sexuality and HIV/AIDS
- Module 3: HIV/AIDS: Prevention and Care at the
Workplace
- Film: "Suneye Mr. Gopal Ki" - A Discussion on
HIV/AIDS
- Handbook: HIV/AIDS: Transmission, Prevention and
Care
-
INTUC has made a
sub committee to address issues of HIV/AIDS and it is in the
process of preparing a policy on role of trade unions in
workplace interventions on HIV/AIDS.
-
Small Grants:
Under this component, some funds are granted to the partners
(NGO and INTUC affiliates) in the project states to carry
out state level awareness programmes within their workplaces
subsequent to the training received by ACILS.
-
A Resource
center has been established in Delhi for providing
centralized services to those in need using the existing
union structures, however it needs to be updated and the
applicability/usage needs to be enhanced.
-
Networking and
building coalitions with trade unions (other national unions
besides INTUC), NGOs, corporations, government partnerships
in the country such as National AIDS Control Organization (NACO),
State AIDS Control Societies etc. and UN agencies.
Top
Involvement of trade Unions on HIV/AIDS programmes:
Lessons learnt through implementing programmes on HIV/AIDS
by Unions (as shared by trade union members themselves)
-
Trade unions
must play an important role in educating workers.
-
Families of
workers also need to be included in awareness campaigns.
-
There is a need
to focus on STIs in the workshop on HIV/AIDS.
-
The trade union
workers/leaders need to be educated first and need to
demonstrate behavior change and commitment themselves before
educating other workers. Motivating trade unions to carry
out such programs is also important.
Top
Obstacles/challenges faced by trade unions (as shared by
trade union members):
-
Funds: Lack of
funding seems to be the largest obstacle to workplace
interventions on HIV/AIDS. Related concerns about seeking
funding; lack of coordination between unions and funding
agencies; and lack of capacity of unions in managing funds
have also been raised.
-
Lack of support
from other colleagues/co-workers, leadership within unions,
and government.
-
Time
constraints: Difficulty in conducting on going programs due
to other work commitments.
-
Resistance and
denial by the target groups and inhibition in discussing
issues of sex and sexuality.
-
Involvement of
women workers: Women hesitate to participate in awareness
workshops (due to obvious gender barriers, stereotypes and
inhibitions on sex and sexuality) and inability of male
trainers to involve/conduct workshops with women workers and
vise versa.
-
Need for greater
priority to be given to these issues of HIV/AIDS by
leadership with the unions.
-
Focus on the
unorganized and informal sectors is missing/lacking.
-
Counseling: As
union members are not trained in counseling people, they
find difficulty in handling individual workers who approach
them after the workshops and/or in cases where pre- and
post-test counseling is required.
-
Training: Lack
of training in handling issues of HIV/AIDS and sex and
sexuality. Most union members themselves are also not aware
of the seriousness of the issues so far.
-
Lack of policy
on HIV/AIDS within unions.
Top
Resource Center
A Resource Center on HIV/AIDS has been established at the
INTUC office at:
4, Bhai Veer Singh Marg
new Delhi-110001
The resource center has a good collection of information,
education and communication material on HIV/AIDS, STDs and
related issues. The resource material has been collected
from the World Health Organization (WHO), Delhi State AIDS
Control Society (DSACS), International Labour Organization (ILO),
National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), FICCI, UNAIDS,
V.V.Giri National Labour Institute and UNIFEM. INTUC members
can visit the resource center on weekdays during office
hours. |
