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A breakthrough came this month in the dispute over trade union rights for workers employed by subcontracting companies of Unilever at warehouses in Turkey. International pressure by three Global Union Federations (GUFs) &ndash; the ICEM, the International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITF), and the International Union of Food and Agricultural Workers (IUF), together with Turkish affiliates &ndash; can be credited with this first and major step toward resolving the dispute. 
 
Management of the subcontracting companies, &Ccedil;ipa and Şimşek, agreed to a protocol agreement with T&Uuml;MTIS, the Turkish Motor Vehicles&rsquo; Workers Union, an affiliate of the ITF, which addresses some of the issues in the dispute. This occurred in December, some six weeks after the GUFs, and ICEM affiliate Petrol-&Iuml;ş and IUF affiliate Tek-Gida-&Iuml;ş, met in a summit in Turkey, and pledged to bring pressure against Unilever on behalf of T&Uuml;MTIS and the subcontracting workers.
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The protocol agreement does not yet give T&Uuml;MTIS recognition status for hundreds of warehouse workers in Gebze, near Istanbul, but it does resolve some issues surrounding the sacking of 87 workers who joined the union. And the employers did agree not to oppose union activity inside the warehouses. 
 
Whether or not &Ccedil;ipa and Şimşek does recognize and bargain with T&Uuml;MTIS is a now a matter that will be resolved in a Turkish labour court. The union agreed to end a continual manifestation in front of warehouses. 
 
Within the protocol agreement, some workers who were fired received payments from employers, while others &ndash; which had won court cases over unfair dismissals &ndash; received add-ons to their indemnity payments. Some workers did get reinstated, while the union is still seeking reinstatement for others. 
 
T&Uuml;MTIS General Secretary G&uuml;rel Yilmaz reported that the protests, and the global labour support, have seen the number of workers who have taken up union membership soar to over 200. He said this has given momentum and renewed motivation among the trade unionists to continue recruitment efforts. 
 
Yilmaz, however, is urging the union partners who joined hands in the 20 October summit to continue their efforts. The ITF will continue to press its trade union rights case in the matter under terms of the OECD&rsquo;s Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. 
 
The ICEM, in concert with the ITF and IUF and Turkish trade unions, will continue to monitor this Unilever subcontractors&rsquo; case, and press for union recognition and a collective agreement for the subcontracting workers. &Ccedil;ipa and Şimşek are companies that handle and distribute Unilever products in Turkey and throughout the Middle East.

Joint Global Union Action Gives Contract Workers of Unilever First Grasp of Victory in Turkey

&ldquo;We, the representatives of coalmine workers from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Columbia, France, Germany, Mongolia, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine, United Kingdom and India, having met in Kolkata India, 14th &ndash; 16th December 2007 make the following declaration: 
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1. We note from the proud history of militant and long drawn struggle by coalminers&rsquo; unions throughout the world, that when coalminers stand strong and determined significant gains have been made in the areas of safety and health, in conditions of employment and, in many cases, within the political structures of Countries. We, the attendees of this Conference, pledge to do all in our power, to strengthen and continue that proud tradition. 
2. While we recognize that our members work in one of the most hazardous industries on earth, we refuse to accept that the appalling toll of death, injury and disease that prevails in the coal mining industry can be permitted to continue. 
3. As a first step, we demand that all countries not only take the necessary steps to ratify ILO Convention C176, but that they also take urgent action to ensure that the commitments continued in the Convention are put into practice. 
4. Acknowledging that ratification of the Convention alone will not make mines safer we call on the ILO and the United Nations, to further strengthen the regime in place to ensure that ratifying Countries are in fact complying with the commitments contained in the Convention, and to seriously consider a programme of audits and inspections. 
5. This Conference rejects the siren song of the privatization of State assets where it is nothing more than an excuse to replace the secure employment of workers engaged in those State enterprises, with the insecurity of employment by companies whose only interest is that of maximizing profit and investor returns. 
 
To allow the exploitation of a State&rsquo;s non-renewable resources for the sole purpose of profit by coal companies and major corporations, and to leave the employment of workers and the welfare of their families to the vagaries of the so-called &ldquo;free market&rdquo; is inexcusable, unwarranted and unacceptable. Conference particularly offers common cause to the Indian coal mining unions in their struggle to stop the privatization of the Indian coal industry. 
6. This Conference notes the disproportionate blame being laid at the feet of the Coal Industry and the burning of coal as a contributor to the current climate change crisis confronting the planet. It is convenient for many to single out coal for strident criticism, while neglecting other significant sources of global greenhouse gas emissions. Any skepticism concerning the validity of the genesis of climate change must be tempered by the reality of the threat that exists to the continuation of large sections of the international coal mining industry, as the industry is targeted by its critics. 
7. The coal industry must respond to this challenge, and conference calls on both Governments and Companies &ndash; in particular those that operate in the rich developed nations (Companies whose principal purpose for exploiting coal reserves is the generation of profit) &ndash; to properly fund research into and establish practical applications of clean coal technology. 
8. This funding must be significant, not merely token, and can easily be afforded by Companies which are making record profits as a consequence of the current unprecedented resources boom being fuelled by the rapid expansion of the economies of developing nations. 
9. This Conference notes the growing trend in almost every Country represented here, of coal industry employers, both State owned and private to engage contract and casual labour in preference to permanent employees, and we express our strident condemnation of this practice. &ldquo;Outsourcing&rdquo; &ldquo;Contracting&rdquo; and &ldquo;Casualisation&rdquo; not only pose a direct threat to the secure employment of permanent employees, but exposes the outsourced and causal workers to reduced wages and conditions lower safety standards, diminished employment security and serious difficulties in accessing basic trade union rights to organize and collectively bargain. 
10. We the delegates, declare this, the first International Coalminers&rsquo; Conference, to have been an outstanding success. We express our sincere appreciation to our Indian Trade Union colleagues for their hospitality and professionalism in hosting and staging this event. 
11. We have been afforded a remarkable opportunity to share the experiences, the knowledge, the comradeship and the solidarity of coalminers from around the World. We call on our National Unions and our International Organisations to support an ongoing role for this Conference. 
 
Irrespective of our politics, our race, creed, colour, or our international affiliations, we are all coalminers and we wish to be afforded the chance to meet and discuss coalminer&rsquo;s issues and to seek solutions to coalminer&rsquo;s problems and concerns. Conference respectfully requests that national and international unions represented here, give serious and favourable consideration to the continued operation of the original preparatory committee to oversee progress on the matters raised in this Declaration, and to be responsible for convening a second International Coalminers&rsquo; Conference at an appropriate time in the future.&rdquo;

Coal Conference Declaration, Kolkata, India

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Global Union/World Bank Consultations
The ITUC and four Global Union Federations (EI, ICEM, ITF and PSI) were invited to consultations on HIV/AIDS with the World Bank on 10 and 11 December. 
 
The objectives of the consultations were to identify complementarities between worker organisations and World Bank involvement in HIV/AIDS in Africa and to draft sector-specific action plans. 
 
The World Bank Group consists of the IBRD (middle-income countries loan facility), IDA (soft loan and grant facility for low-income countries) and IFC (commercial loan window, which has its own AIDS programme &ndash; IFC Against AIDS, Protecting People and Profitability and which published the HIV/AIDS Guide for the Mining Sector). 
 
Since 1986, and with the operation of the Africa Multi-Country AIDS Program (MAP) from 2000, about USD 2.6 billion have been committed. MAP alone committed some 1.5 billion since 2000 in 30 countries and five sub-regional projects. World Bank funds are usually channelled through the national HIV/AIDS coordinating body. 
 
50% of MAP funds were earmarked for NGOs. According to the MAP 2000-2006 publication The Africa Multi-Country AIDS Program 2000-2006, available at <a href="http://www.worldbank.org">www.worldbank.org</a>, 41,000 organisations in 25 countries benefited. More than 2.2 million workers were reached with workplace programmes. 
 
The World Bank continues its commitment to fight HIV/AIDS and has developed a new Agenda for Action 2007-2011. One of the objectives is to scale-up targeted multi-sectoral responses. Thus, the sector-specific meetings focused on mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in key sectors which include mining and energy &ndash; also ICEM key sectors. The ICEM will continue its work with the World Bank and include capacity building and knowledge sharing and generation for unions in infrastructure projects financed by the World Bank. 
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VCT Counsellors&rsquo; Training for ICEM Affiliates 
The low uptake of voluntary counselling and testing was a reason for the ICEM to focus on the training of counsellors from its own affiliates. With a grant from a major pharmaceutical company, training courses were held in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania with participants from all ICEM affiliates in these countries. 
 
In cooperation with professional service providers 40 VCT counsellors were trained in the course of 2007. The ICEM will monitor their deployment and work in 2008 in order to assess the impact of unionists in the up-scaling of VCT.
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Global Fund Round 8 Proposals 
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is scheduled to issue its call for proposals for Round 8 on 1 March 2008. From that date, applicants will have 120 days to prepare and submit their proposals. 
 
Although this seems a fair amount of time, the demanding proposal form and complicated procedures may require more time. There is no reason to start the process now. For unions that means getting membership on Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCM) to make sure that workplace projects are included in proposals to the Global Fund. 
 
(Source: Global Fund Observer Issue 82, 7 December 2007. GFO is a free service of Aidspan <a href="http://www.aidspan.org">www.aidspan.org</a>. To receive GFO, send an email to <a href="mailto:receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org">receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org</a>) 
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Zambia: Women and AIDS
Domestic violence and poverty are preventing many Zambian women from accessing AIDS drugs, thus undermining the government&rsquo;s ambitious treatment programme. 
 
About 16% of adults in Zambia are HIV-positive and, in urban areas, the prevalence rate exceeds 20%, with infection rates higher among women. The government provides antiretroviral drugs free of charge. 
 
A report by New York-based Human Rights Watch attributes the inadequate treatment of women to fear of violence from husbands which prevents women from getting tested. In other cases, women are left without financial means for transportation and a proper diet after divorce or death of their husbands leaves them destitute as property is seized by the husband&rsquo;s family. 
 
(Source: Associated Press, 18 December 2007) 
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Nigerian Ministry Develops HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy
The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development recently developed a policy that provides a framework for addressing HIV/AIDS in the workplace. The policy seeks to protect the rights of HIV-positive workers, as well as to foster a safe and healthy work environment for employees with a zero tolerance to psychological abuse, stigma and discrimination. 
 
HIV/AIDS should be treated as any other chronic illness in the workplace in terms of employee benefits, including health and life insurance, disability benefits and leave of absence. 
 
(Source: Daily Trust, 17 December 2007) 
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Bono&rsquo;s Brand
In January 2006, Bono, the Irish rock star, launched Product Red, to raise money for HIV/AIDS work in Africa. So far Red, which licenses its logo to brands including Apple, Motorola, Armani, Gap, Converse and American Express, has donated USD 50 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. 
 
While this is more than a lot of countries have contributed to the Global Fund, growth of Red has slowed down as few new companies have signed up and as the products are only available in a limited number of countries. 
 
(Source: Financial Times, 1-2 December 2007)
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News from the Global Union Programme and Global Unions
In its most recent HIV/AIDS updates (nos. 34 and 35 of 1 and 15 December) the International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITF) <a href="http://www.itfglobal.org">www.itfglobal.org</a> reports, among others, on its Latin American regional HIV/AIDS workshop, which focused on developing a prevention culture to control the epidemic; on the implementation of a workplace HIV/AIDS programme by the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers&rsquo; Union and on programmes in India.

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin

The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) commends Turkish trade union affiliate Petrol-Is and management Fresenius Medical Care for signing a collective bargaining agreement today, 18 December, for workers at Novamed. The ICEM salutes the 300 workers of Novamed, a manufacturer of bloodline and kidney dialysis equipment, for their stand in becoming the first unionised workforce within the Antalya Free Trade Zone of Turkey. 
 
A three-year initial labour agreement was signed today in Istanbul between Petrol-Is and Novamed that ends a historic strike by 84 of the workers in Mersin, Antalya. The strike, which will stand as a test of courage for fairness and dignity on the job, began on 26 September 2006. 
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The (no longer) striking workers at Novamed
&quot;The ICEM is extremely proud to have played a major role in bringing a negotiated settlement that ends this long struggle,&quot; said General Secretary Manfred Warda. &quot;We especially commend the workers of Novamed, union leaders of Petrol-Is, and management of Fresenius in Germany and Novamed in Turkey for bringing resolve to issues that caused the strike. 
 
The settlement will bring the 84 strikers, 82 of whom are women, back to the job, and will grant all workers a wage increase of 5% for the first year, and of 4% for the second and third year of the agreement. It also brings a social package that includes a payment for each of two religious holidays in Turkey, as well as productivity and attendance bonuses for workers. All the striking workers will return to work on the 2nd of January 2008. 
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The ICEM recognises the work and cooperation done by the European Mine, Chemical, Energy Workers' Federation (EMCEF) and by ICEM&rsquo;s German affiliate IGBCE in helping to bring about the settlement. The ICEM also recognises the important role played by other trade unions, as well as by many women's groups, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and others inside Turkey who shared steadfast support with the strikers. Warda paid special tribute to Petrol-Is President Mustafa Oztaskin and other leaders of the union for their efforts. 
 
&quot;This is a victory that the entire family of ICEM unions globally can be proud of,&quot; he said. &quot;The solidarity and support by many made it happen. We now extend to workers and managers alike at Novamed for a long and mutually beneficial relationship in this workplace.&quot; 
 
The strike drew worldwide interest following concerted action by the ICEM on 8 March 2007, International Women's Day, in which hundreds of trade unions and individuals rallied to the defence of workers. Following a meeting in Germany by ICEM, EMCEF, and IGBCE with corporate officials in late September 2007, negotiations began in Turkey, and after two sessions in October and November, the negotiations were concluded with an agreement on 18 December 2007.

447-Day Long Strike Ends with First Trade Union Inside Turkey&#039;s Antalya Free Trade Zone

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Many of the ICEM affiliated trade unions, in different countries, play important roles in their national trade union movements. One obvious example is Turkey, where Brother Mustafa Kumlu has been elected as President of the country&rsquo;s largest national confederation TURK-IS, at their Congress held in Ankara on December 6-9. 
 
Brother Kumlu, a titular Executive Committee member of the ICEM, where he represents Turkey, is the current President of the Turkish Electricity, Water and Gas Workers Union (TES-IS). He also is the Chairman of the ICEM Turkish Coordinating Committee.
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The President of another ICEM member union, Belediye-Is, Brother Nihat Yurdakul, got the confidence of the Congress delegates as one of the member in the 5-member Management Committee of the confederation. 
 
&ldquo;I congratulate you for being elected to this important duty. It is a great honour for the ICEM to see our long-standing colleagues in higher positions, serving members. I am sure you will continue to give more support to the ICEM activities with your new capacity in your country.&rdquo; said ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda in his messages to Kumlu and Yurdakul.

ICEM Executive Committee member to Lead the Largest National Union Centre in Turkey

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The above-mentioned title was one of the main mottos of the Workers Group, which was coordinated by the ICEM, at the recent Experts&rsquo; Meeting of the International Labour Office (ILO) on Hazardous Chemical Substances. This meeting took place from 10 to 13 December in Geneva. 
 
The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss how ILO instruments, as well as other tools concerning occupational safety and health, and hazardous substances, could be best incorporated into a new policy framework and action plan. 
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The meeting examined the best practices and appropriate national legal frameworks to promote safe and healthy working environments. It also reviewed the roles of governments, and of employers&rsquo; and workers&rsquo; organisations, as well as ways of establishing tripartite consultation mechanisms on occupational safety and health, and of ensuring that workers and their organisations participate in the consultation mechanisms. 
 
The meeting further considered the impact of new and ongoing initiatives related to hazardous substances, including the UN-wide Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) and the Globally Harmonized System of Chemical Classification and Labeling (GHS). 
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On the basis of the background paper prepared by the ILO (which <a href="http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/sector/techmeet/mepfhs07/mepfhs-r.pdf">can be found here</a>) and the subsequent actions of the Office, the meeting adopted recommendations, including on the need to increase, speed up and integrate the processes for the assessment and management of existing and new hazardous substances in the development and marketing of chemicals. This needs to take into account the special requirements for the protection of all workers, in particular for precarious and vulnerable workers, as well as facilitate access to information on preventive and protective measures. 
 
Other recommendations were on promoting the ratification and implementation of the up-to-date ILO&rsquo;s general OSH (Occupational Health and Safety) and chemical safety instruments, including ILO Conventions 155, 170, 174 and 187, as a comprehensive and coherent basis for the sound management of chemicals and the establishment; and on the need to increase and strengthen the dialogue and joint actions of employers and workers throughout all levels, including at the global scale, on OSH and chemical safety issues. 
 
&ldquo;It is an obvious success to see the main parameters of the Action Plan adopted by the ICEM World Conference for the Chemical Industries, which took place in 2006 in Trinidad &amp; Tobago, reflected in the final document of this ILO Meeting. ICEM and its affiliates should increase their efforts in protecting our members&rsquo; health and safety by using all the instruments at international level&rdquo; said ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda.

Decent Work Must be Safe Work

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In a bold move aimed at narrowing the disparity between high and low wage earners in Japan, the Trade Union Confederation Rengo, on 4 December, adopted an official policy of raising pay levels for contract workers in its 2008 spring wage negotiations. 
 
The policy was adopted at Rengo's Central Committee meeting, and means that now it and Japanese Trade Union Confederation UI Zensen have prioritised that contract and temporary workers receive equal treatment to that of full-time employees in the country's social-work agenda. 
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Rengo's Central Committee also adopted a policy aimed at curbing the long work hours traditionally performed by Japanese workers. Rengo will demand that the legal premium for overtime pay be raised to 50% for work done on weekdays, and 100% on holidays. Currently, overtime pay is formulated at 25% above straight-time pay for weekdays and 35% for work performed on holidays. 
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In the spring 2008 wage offensive, Rengo will demand that companies sign a minimum wage agreement for contract workers, ensuring them of a salary that is higher than the official minimum wage. It will also push for revision of Japan's Worker Dispatch Law. That proposed change will guarantee more rights for contract workers and temporary workers. 
 
Both Japanese trade union confederations, Rengo and UI Zensen, are acutely aware that the number of workers recruited for full-time employment has decreased, while recruitment of temporary workers, or workers through labour staffing agencies, has dramatically increased.

Rengo&#039;s Central Committee Moves to Prioritise Higher Pay, Better Rights for Contract Workers

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Last month, full worker participation in a future, pan-European company became a reality with agreement by chemicals firm BASF that creates a European Works Council, and includes workers' representatives on its supervisory board. 
 
The employee participation agreement was signed by management and a special negotiating body representing BASF workers in Ludwigshafen, Germany. It is a final step in BASF converting from a German company, or Aktiengesselschaft (AG), to a European company, or Societas Europaea (SE). That transformation is expected to occur early in 2008. 
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Following that, BASF's supervisory board will be reduced from 20 to 12 members, with six of those to be workers' representatives. The newly-formed European Works Council will consist of 23 members from 12 European nations, of which eight will be from Germany. 
 
The agreement strengthens the participation of all European employees in the company. BASF said the accord will improve corporate governance. Legally, the new employee participation agreement will govern cross-border information and make sure that the consultation process involves workers. 
 
That social partnership process will convene three times yearly. In addition, the European Mine, Chemical, and Energy Workers' Federation (EMCEF) will hold the right to be present during all European Works Council meetings, as well as at the SE supervisory board meetings. ICEM German affiliate IGBCE called the BASF negotiated pact a yardstick by which to measure other companies seeking to become European entities.

BASF Signs Accord for Pan-European Worker Representation on Company Panels

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On 4 December, 500 European trade unionists from 17 countries gathered in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, for a European Day of Action against consumer products maker Unilever&rsquo;s harsh restructuring course.
The event, sponsored by the European Federation of Food, Agriculture, and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT), the European Mine, Chemical, and Energy Federation (EMCEF), and the European Works Council of Unilever, included a mass meeting, followed by a march to Unilever&rsquo;s Rotterdam headquarters, where a formal declaration was presented to senior executives.
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Globally, trade unions in a number of countries expressed solidarity with the European Action Day. In Mumbai, India, some 150 unionists, organised by the All India Council of Unilever Unions, held a mass rally on that day to protest the cuts. And in South Africa, Unilever workers from two plants conducted plant-gate pickets during the noon hour.
The six-point Rotterdam declaration presented to Unilever includes: clarity and perspectives from Unilever to European workers of the company; a halt to the current restructuring plan; an end to job dismissals and plant closures; respectful treatment to Unilever&rsquo;s No. 1 asset &ndash; its workers; and a call for full social dialogue with workers&rsquo; representatives to find alternative solutions to job cuts. 
<img height="253" alt="" src="" width="380" />
In early August 2007, the Anglo-Dutch company announced a global reorganisation plan that would make redundant one-tenth of its 180,000 employees. Of those 20,000 job cuts, 10,000 to 12,000 were from European operations, with 20 to 25 plants endangered over the next 3 years.

700 March in Rotterdam against Unilever on European Day of Action

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Global Unions Meet Global Fund
In conjunction with the meeting of the Advisory Committee of the Global Unions AIDS Programme in Geneva, consultations were held with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM). Ezekiel Dyke, General Secretary of the United Mineworkers&rsquo; Union of Sierra Leone, participated on behalf of the ICEM, together with the Global Coordinator who gave a presentation on the ICEM&rsquo;s engagement with the Global Fund. 
 
While a few Global Union Federations had interactions with the GFATM &ndash; the ICEM even had a joint mission to Ghana in May 2006 &ndash; this was the first comprehensive meeting to boost trade union involvement in the structures and programmes of the GFATM. 
 
The Global Fund is an independent public-private partnership to raise and disburse new funds to combat the three diseases. As it operates as a financial instrument and not an implementing agency, it does not have regional or country representation. Since its formation almost six years ago, it has an ever-growing secretariat in Geneva. 
 
At national level, Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCM) submit proposals which, if a proposal is approved, are implemented through Principal Recipients. 
 
By the end of 2007, grants in 136 countries with a total of US$14.5 billion had been approved, with grant agreements signed for US$8 billion and more than the US$5 billion disbursed. About 50% of funding goes towards HIV/AIDS services. 
 
The international labour movement seeks representation on the global structures of the GFATM, and for its affiliates at national level involvement in the CCMs. Workplace programmes to fight the diseases &ndash; especially HIV/AIDS &ndash; need advocates so that such programmes are included in proposals. The ILO, which signed a letter of agreement with the GFATM in 2003, has been working on the inclusion of world of work components in country proposals. 
 
In its publication &ldquo;An Evolving Partnership: The Global Fund and Civil Society,&rdquo; the GFATM clearly considers unions as vital members of civil society. There are, however, a lot of characteristics which distinguish unions from civil society organisations. 
In his opening remarks, Michel Kazatchkine, the GFATM Executive Director, acknowledged that the private sector, for which the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is the focal point, is mainly represented by management and not by representatives of the workforce. In its dealings with the GFATM, the ICEM has said that the private sector is business and unions. 
 
Working groups identified shared goals between the Global Unions and the Global Fund and they made suggestions on how to overcome obstacles and barriers, such as building capacity in the unions. One condition to make progress in future is the recognition of labour as a separate entity in the global and national structures of the GFATM. 
<img height="35" alt="" src="" width="25" />
World AIDS Day 2007
On the occasion of World AIDS Day on 1 December, the Bangladesh Chemical Workers&rsquo; Federation organised a seminar to increase awareness among its members. The union&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s committee published a poster based on the campaign posters of the World AIDS Campaign, which were sent out by the ICEM. 
 
In Namibia, officials, and members of the Mine Workers&rsquo; Union of Namibia attended the national event in Keetmanshoop. and activities organised by the Namibia Business Coalition on AIDS in Windhoek. 
 
During the 4th ICEM World Congress in Bangkok, hundreds of union leaders reconfirmed their commitment by signing the pledge &ldquo;Stop AIDS &ndash; Keep the Promise&rdquo;. See that story <a href="/en/72-HIV-AIDS/2487-ICEM-Reconfirms-Commitment-to-Fight-HIV-AIDS-Pandemic">here</a>. 
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Global Fund Round 8 Proposals
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is scheduled to issue its call for proposals for Round 8 on 1 March 2008. From that date, applicants will have 120 days to prepare and submit their proposals. 
 
Although this seems a fair amount of time, the demanding proposal form and complicated procedures may require more time. There is no reason not to start the process now. For unions, that means getting membership on CCM in order to ensure that workplace projects are included in proposals to the Global Fund. At the consultations between Global Unions and the Global Fund (see &quot;Global Unions Meet&quot;, above), an adaptation of the proposal form and of the GFATM Guidelines for Round 8 to include workers organisations as eligible organisations was discussed. 
 
Aidspan, the publisher of the Global Fund Observer, has released, Volume 1: &ldquo;Getting a Head Start.&rdquo; its guide for Round 8 applications to the Global Fund. 
 
(Source: Global Fund Observer Issue 84, 29 January 2008. GFO is a free service of Aidspan <a href="http://www.aidspan.org">www.aidspan.org</a>. To receive GFO, send an email to <a href="mailto:receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org">receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org</a>) 
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Business Coalitions Tackling AIDS
On the occasion of the annual meeting in January of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the Forum&rsquo;s Global Health Initiative published an in-depth study of the activities of business coalitions on AIDS, entitled, &ldquo;Business Coalitions Tackle AIDS: A Worldwide Review.&rdquo; 
 
By the end of 2007, four regional and 47 national business coalitions were in existence with a further ten to be established in 2008. They have emerged as an effective platform for the private sector response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. 
 
Business Coalitions provide private sector companies with the tools and training to address HIV and AIDS at the workplace. Too often, however, they do not include unions in the design and implementation of workplace programmes which address the workforce of a company. 
 
(Source: UNAIDS and WEF website) 
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Haiti: Poverty and Injustice the Biggest Hurdle 
Years of political turmoil and deep poverty have allowed HIV and AIDS to flourish in Haiti, which has the highest prevalence rate in the world outside sub-Saharan Africa. AIDS is the leading cause of death in Haitian women aged between 15 and 49. 
 
Progressio&rsquo;s latest report argues that HIV and AIDS cannot be tackled without addressing the endemic poverty and injustice that exists in Haiti. The government is failing to take the situation seriously, but must tackle the increase in sexual assaults and rape which put women at risk of infection. 
 
(Souce: <a href="http://www.ciir.org">Progressio</a>&nbsp;-&nbsp;Progressio is an international organisation working for the eradication of poverty) 
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Peru: Companies are Fined 
New Peruvian labour inspection regulations provide fines on companies which dismiss workers solely for their HIV/AIDS status. Workers can submit complaints to Peru&rsquo;s Ministry of Labour and appeal to the courts for reinstatement. 
 
Peru has a relatively low infection rate; in the last 20 years, about 20,000 people have died of AIDS and some 30,000 are presently infected. 
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Soccer and Condoms 
The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) has launched a condom-distribution programme for the African Cup of Nations, currently taking place in Ghana. 
 
With the support from the UN Fund for Population Activities, the commission distributes condoms at no cost to hotels in Ghana to help reduce the spread of HIV during the tournament. More than one million people are expected to visit the country. 
 
GAC Director General, Prof S.A. Amoa, said that more than 300,000 cases of HIV/AIDS are recorded in the country. While more than 30,000 people need treatment, only some 12,000 presently receive it. 
 
(Source: Vanguard, 10 January) 
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News from the Global Union Programme and Global Unions
In its most recent newsletter of 21 January on Education For All and HIV/AIDS Prevention at Schools, the Education International (EI) reported on the launch of its new initiative, called &ldquo;One Hour on AIDS.&rdquo; Learners around the world benefited from lessons on HIV and AIDS on the same day, 30 November. EI has put together a kit specially designed for teachers - <a href="http://www.ei-ie.org/efaids">www.ei-ie.org/efaids</a>.

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