New int'l labor standard for HIV/AIDS adopted
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The International Labor Organization (ILO) adopted a new labor standard for HIV/AIDS on June 17 in Geneva, Switzerland, at its annual conference—it's the first international human-rights instrument entirely dedicated to HIV/AIDS.
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Mr. Zhou Yi, a volunteer with Positive Talk Project [China.org.cn] |
![Mr. Zhou Yi, a volunteer with Positive Talk Project [China.org.cn]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20100626/00114320f5750d8fd9d810.jpg "Mr. Zhou Yi, a volunteer with Positive Talk Project [China.org.cn]")
A press release from the ILO office for China and Mongolia on June 25 stated the standard emphasizes the importance of employment and income-generating activities for workers and people living with HIV (PLHIV), particularly in terms of continuing treatment.
Dr. Richard Howard, senior specialist for the ILOAIDS program in the Asia Pacific, noted it has addressed the discrimination based on sexual orientation and focused on the special needs of migrant workers. It's also clarified the reporting requirements for its member countries, a big step forward from previous standards.
According to the China Stigma Index survey, which was funded by UNAIDS, 23.3 percent of 2096 respondents who are PLHIV from 25 Chinese provinces were denied jobs or had lost income, and 28.4 percent of respondents had been forced to change their jobs or were denied promotions because of their status.
![Dr. Richard Howard, senior specialist for the ILOAIDS program in the Asia Pacific [China.org.cn]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20100626/00114320f5750d8fdb062e.jpg "Dr. Richard Howard, senior specialist for the ILOAIDS program in the Asia Pacific [China.org.cn]") |
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Dr. Richard Howard, senior specialist for the ILOAIDS program in the Asia Pacific [China.org.cn] |
"People living with HIV need jobs to earn money for their treatment, and the isolation and discrimination deprive them of their social lives," said Li Jing, project assistant to Marie Stopes International China, an NGO participating in the survey.
The Chinese government has taken some steps, such as issuing the "Regulation on the Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS" in 2006, and also Article 30 of the Law on Promotion of Employment, which states employers can't refuse to hire an individual based on an individual being a carrier of an infectious disease.
"We had an advanced framework to protect the rights of people with HIV. What we need to do is to substantialize policies and support implementation of employment rights. The anti-discrimination for hepatitis B carriers set a good example," said Zheng Dongliang, deputy director of Labor Studies Institute.
China cancelled hepatitis B tests for civil servants this February, and medical tests show that HBV can only be transmitted from mother to child during childbirth or by contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person, which is similar to HIV transmission.
"However, employment-related discrimination exists," said Zhou Yi, a volunteer for Positive Talk Project, "The stigma and discrimination are deeply rooted in Chinese society and culture."
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