MOSCOW, 13 January 2006 (ILO News) – The Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development, the Coordinating Council of Employers’ Associations and the Russian Federation of Independent Trade Unions – parties to the Tripartite Commission on the Regulation of Social and Labour Relations – called to join efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS and to collaborate in preventing HIV/AIDS at the workplace.

In a joint Declaration on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work signed by Minister Mikhail Zourabov, Coodinating Council’s President Oleg Eremeev and the Trade Union Federation Chairman Mikhail Shmakov, the tripartite partners called HIV/AIDS “a potential threat to workers, enterprises and the national economy”. In 2005, the number of HIV infected persons in the Russian Federation was more than 45 times higher than in 1997 – one of the fastest growth rates of the pandemic worldwide. The ILO estimates that – if such growth continues – the country’s working population may decrease by 1.1 million in 2015, and by 2.1 million in 2050.

The parties underlined the role of the ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work as a basis for addressing the epidemics at the workplace. They also stressed the necessity to implement prevention and education programmes, to fight against discrimination of workers living with HIV/AIDS, to provide support to them, including care, access to antiretroviral treatment, voluntary consulting and testing.

The ILO plays a significant role in addressing HIV/AIDS in Russia through its expertise on issues in the world of work. An ILO/US Department of Labour project contributes to the prevention of HIV/AIDS in the world of work by introducing a new policy and behavior change education model, adapted to the specific conditions of Russia. In the Murmansk and Moscow regions a number of pilot enterprises from different sectors are assisted in developing non-discriminatory HIV/AIDS policies and education programmes aimed at reducing risky behaviours and employment-related discrimination against workers living with HIV/AIDS.

Werner Blenk, ILO Subregional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia called the Tripartite Declaration on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work “an important step in promoting HIV/AIDS workplace issues at the country level”. “The ILO is strongly committed to provide its assistance and advise to the tripartite partners in the fight against HIV/AIDS”, he said.