ITF unions in HIV/AIDS agreement victory

Guatemala’s Sindicato de Trabajadores Unidos de Empornac (SITRUEMPORNAC) and Costa Rica’s Sindicatode Trabajadores de la Junta Administrativa Portuaria JAPDEVA y Afines Portuarios (SINTRAJAP) used the HIV/AIDS dockers’ resource pack to negotiate anti-discriminatory HIV/AIDS clauses in their agreements. A further three unions in the region are about to sign agreements with HIV/AIDS clauses.
 
Their successes were highlighted during the Central America HIV seminar for dockers’ unions in Panama city, which took place from March 24-28. Twenty-one participants from 10 unions learned more about negotiating HIV/AIDS related clauses, and how they could use HIV/AIDS related activities to organise unorganised workers.
 
Participants also joined ITF Panamanian affiliates in a demonstration in support of embattled Honduran dockers’ union leader Victor Crespo at the Honduran embassy.
 
Lidia Amarilis Morales Garcia from SITRUEMPORNAC was one of the participants. She said: “We took part in ITF’s HIV for ports and port workers survey in 2011, and since then we’ve been doing HIV/AIDS activities with our members. The resource pack for port workers has really helped us to build our capacity, and helped us to negotiate a clause in our agreement that no worker can be discriminated against because of their HIV status. We’ll continue to work to fight HIV/AIDS stigma in the workplace, with the support of the ITF!”
 
Paula Hamilton, ITF dockers’ section assistant secretary, also attended the meeting. She remarked that the resource pack is a valuable tool for affiliates, particularly in organising. She congratulated those unions who have already secured HIV/AIDS clauses, and praised the three unions currently in negotiations.
 
Download the [ITF HIV/AIDS toolkit for port workers from the ITF website] (Eng/Spa) (http://www.itfglobal.org/infocentre/pubs.cfm/detail/39833)
 
Find out more about the [Victor Crespo campaign on our website] (http://www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/Victor-Crespo.cfm)