Skip to main content
Home

User Menu

  • Perspective
  • Log in

Main menu

  • Home
  • About ETI
    • Our members
      • Previous members
    • What we do
      • Resolving violations
    • Why we exist
      • ETI's origins
    • Our impact on workers
    • Accountability
    • Funding
    • Our strategy
    • Our team
      • ETI Board members
    • Contact
  • ETI Base Code
    • 1. Employment is freely chosen
    • 2. Freedom of association
    • 3. Working conditions are safe and hygienic
    • 4. Child labour shall not be used
    • 5. Living wages are paid
    • 6. Working hours are not excessive
    • 7. No discrimination is practiced
    • 8. Regular employment is provided
    • 9. No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed
  • Programmes
  • Join ETI
    • How to apply
    • What members sign up to
    • The business case
  • Training
    • All courses
    • Essentials of ethical trade series
    • Human rights due diligence series
    • China series
    • ETI trainers
    • Bespoke training
  • Resources
    • Newsletters
    • Useful links
  • Issues
    • Union rights at work
    • COVID-19
    • Modern slavery
      • Modern slavery and transparency standards
      • Modern slavery initiatives
      • Modern slavery resources
      • Modern slavery evaluation framework
    • Due diligence
      • ETI’s work on human rights due diligence
        • ETI’s work in Pakistan
        • Pakistan, labour rights resources
      • Resources on human rights due diligence
    • Public procurement & responsible business
    • Company purchasing practices
      • Working conditions in the Leicester garment industry
    • Grievance mechanisms & remedy
    • Gender equity
      • Gender equality - initiatives
      • Gender equality - international standards
      • Gender equality - resources
    • A living wage for workers
      • Living wage initiatives
      • Living wage resources
      • Living wage standards
      • Wages and purchasing theories
    • Business and human rights in India
    • Child labour
    • Homeworkers
    • Migrant workers
    • HIV at work
    • Ethical trade and fairtrade
  • Blog
  • Events
    • Ethical Insights series

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Blog

HIV/AIDS meet offers lessons for ethical trade

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • 27 May 2010

"I know my status - do you know yours?"

A South African avocado farm's efforts to tackle HIV/AIDS in its workplace were the focus of an ETI members' roundtable earlier this month. The meeting brought together ETI member companies, trade unions and NGOs to share experiences of tackling the disease in the workplace and identify lessons which could be applied more broadly.

As well as being a human tragedy, AIDS also wrecks businesses and economies: studies have found that absenteeism resulting from the disease represents up to 54% of companies' costs in East Africa.

But companies like Westfalia are demonstrating that it is possible to make progress in tackling AIDS, implement policies that protect workers' rights, and thrive as a business.

Human Resources Manager Dorcus Molomo outlined key tranches of the company's HIVAIDS programme at the meeting. This includes an innovative peer counselling programme whereby people from the workforce are recruited to talk about HIV to their colleagues in an informal way, helping dispel some of the myths and overcome their colleague's fear of being tested.

The company also runs yearly awareness-raising weeks, each with a different theme - for example, "I know my status - do you know yours?" and "If you're not infected, you're still affected".

Said Dorcus, "We are proud of what we have achieved so far", she says. "Crucially, AIDS is no longer something that people are afraid to talk about. People are very involved and aware about the need to protect their status."

Said ETI Deputy Director Martin Cooke, "Westfalia's work is very exciting and provides valuable lessons, not just for companies seeking to develop responsible policies towards HIVAIDS, but also for tackling other highly sensitive issues in the workplace, such as sexual discrimination or harassment."

A new ILO standard on HIVAIDS in the workplace is due out at the end of June.

Useful links

ILO/AIDS

Comments

ETI's blog covers issues at the intersection of business, news and ethical trade. We welcome a range of insights and opinions from our guest bloggers, though don't necessarily agree with everything they say.

Stay up to date

Stay up to date with the latest from ETI via the following channels:
  • Email
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Blog RSS

Related content

  • HIV at work
  • How the new ILO standard on HIV/AIDS can help ethical trade

Get the latest

Subscribe to our email newsletters and stay up to speed on ethical trade.
Subscribe

ETI elsewhere

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Footer

  • Accessibility
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Jobs at ETI
  • Press resources
  • Privacy
  • Modern slavery statement
Other ETIs: Norway, Denmark
Ethical Trading Initiative | Registered No. 3578127