Trade unions in this country have traditionally been concerned with the rights, working conditions and health and safety of our members. The tradition also extends to education in the workplace, and beyond.

Many of the challenges posed by HIV / AIDS can be overcome by an agreed workplace Policy that educates, informs and protects the interests of our members.

Confronting HIV / AIDS is not about making judgements or advocating a lifestyle choice. It is about empowering our members and giving them the information to make informed choices.

We now face the challenges of defending the livelihood, health and lives of workers, their partners and their families, from the threat of HIV / AIDS, combined with ensuring fear and misinformation that feed prejudice and discrimination are confronted effectively and accurately. People affected by HIV and AIDS are in a special position compared to those affected by other serious illness and conditions, mainly due to the stigmatisation of the disease that has been allowed to build up over the last 20 years.

People with HIV have faced hostility and rejection, lost their jobs and their homes, and have had to move their children from school to school simply due to fear caused by a lack of understanding of the disease. Trade Unions have a duty to fight discrimination, no matter where it comes from and no matter whom it is directed at. Factual information from a reliable source can be a formidable weapon in this fight.

Luckily, Trade Unions are well placed to meet the challenges posed, as the workplace is a major "entry point" for information and rights campaigns and, perhaps more importantly with HIV / AIDS, it can be a major "entry point" for prevention initiatives. There is still no cure for HIV / AIDS, but prevention does work.

We already have members who are living with HIV / AIDS. Some are infected with the HIV virus, others have a friend or loved one who is. We also undoubtedly have members who are HIV positive, but who do not yet know they are.

As trade unionists we owe each other mutual support and need to work together for our common interest because, regardless of whether or not we are HIV positive, this disease affects us all.