Bureau of Programming and Management The Decent Work Agenda of the ILO and the Informal Economy The Role of Trade Unions and Informal Economy Associations December 2007

Pretoria Office Impact of HIV and AIDS on the Informal Economy Simphiwe Mabhele Focal Person on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work: ILO-Pretoria, Office for Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland. Kopanong, Gauteng December 2007

Pretoria Office If you give me one egg and you take one, we each have one egg, but if you give me an idea and I also give you one, we each have two ideas. African Proverb

PRESENTATION OUTLINE Background Information - (HIV Prevalence) Defining the concept - Informal Economy ILO-Pretoria HIV/AIDS Projects (South Africa): a) ILO/US-DoL HIV/AIDS Workplace Education Program b) Transport Sector HIV/AIDS Project c) Occupational Safety and Health (+10% HIV/AIDS) Some Recommendations - Impact of HIV/AIDS on the Informal Economy Conclusion Pretoria Office

SA’s Share of Global and Regional estimates PLHIV (2006) No. of PLHIV Global = 39.5m SSA = 24.7m SADC = 13.6m SACU = 6.5m Pretoria Office SA’ Share Global = 14% SSA = 22% SADC = 40% SACU = 85% Source: UNAIDS, 2006 Note:South Africa has Fourth largest Population in Sub-Saharan Africa, second largest in SADC and largest in SACU.

Province and Population Size compared to HIV/AIDS Prevalence Source: Stats in Brief, 2007 (Statistics South Africa)

Province and Population Size compared to HIV/AIDS Prevalence Source: Stats in Brief, 2007 (Statistics South Africa)

ISSUES IN THE WORKPLACE What is still an issue…? Stigma and discrimination Fair labor practice Confidentiality Some workers don’t know their status Disclosure - HIV Status Who is conducting the test Gender - Couple HIV Counseling and Testing Management involvement Senior union leadership involvement Pretoria Office

ISSUES IN THE WORKPLACE What is not an issue…? What HIV and AIDS are, but distinguishing between the two; Knowing my HIV status, but HIV positive result; Who is HIV positive, but how you got infected; HIV and AIDS policies, but principles and compliance; and HIV and AIDS programs in the workplace, but implementation. Pretoria Office

DEFINING - INFORMAL ECONOMY Small-scale units producing and distributing goods and services Workers operate with very little capital (informal sector) Low level of technology used, resulting in: - Low levels of productivity - Very low and irregular incomes Pretoria Office

ILO-PRETORIA HIV/AIDS PROJECT ILO-Pretoria Office Namibia Botswana ILO/US-DoL HIV/AIDS Project Lesotho ILO/US-DoL HIV/AIDS Project Swaziland ILO/US-DoL HIV/AIDS Project South Africa ILO/US-DoL HIV/AIDS Project Transport Sector HIV/AIDS Project OSH - HIV/AIDS SACU Countries

HIV/AIDS WORKPLACE EDUCATION A Tripartite Approach - Social partners in the (PAB) Working with Enterprises Capacity Building for Enterprises (more in the formal economy) Training on Behaviour Change Communication Programming for the Workplace Sensitization Workshop Baseline Data Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) Mapping Exercise

Employees Communities Workplace Household Interaction with families, friends Interact with colleagues, supervisors Consistency Integration WORKPLACE INTERVENTIONS Pretoria Office

An ILO code of practice on HIV/AIDS and the world of work International Labour Office Geneva ILO Code of Practice on HIV and AIDS Adopted by: WorkersGovernmentsEmployers -Integrates the world of work into National AIDS strategic plans. -Development of policies and programmes at the workplace, sectoral and national level -Promote processes of dialogue, consultations and collaboration

Some Recommendations Recognize HIV/AIDS as integral to broader social problems Establish modalities for childcare Establish modalities for hygiene and safety Worker organizations to take responsibility for health and safety for this target group Mobile health care units to be considered The enterprise chain and formal sector neighbours to be examined for possible interventions Pretoria Office

DECENT WORK - BENEFITS Government Employers Workers Healthy and productive nation (citizens - esp. in the world of work Productive workforce Ability to work and job security Pretoria Office

CONCLUSION Perseverance is a great element of success. If you knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake somebody. Henry Longfellow Pretoria Office

Let us all engage in ‘Mental Gymnastics’ to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in the world of work Thank You!