OPSEU Local 520

March 20, 2010

Canadian Embassy officials in over 20 countries have been contacted by trade union organizations to discuss the G8’s commitment to Universal Access to HIV Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support. They will also highlight the importance of Decent Work and the ILO Jobs Pact as essential elements in achieving Universal Access.

Similarly, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) has informed the Canadian G8/G20 Sherpa (a term used to describe those who prepare documents to be adopted by the Summits) that it expects the activities from its international partners to spill-over into other countries and regions, and asking for support in facilitating the occurrence of meetings at the national level with Canadian Embassies. The CLC has agreed to keep the Sherpa informed of the progress of the campaign.

So far, participating countries are concentrated in Africa and include trade unions from: Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Core d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania and Togo.

“Week of Action” slips into month-long “Days of Action”

Initially, the Canadian-African partnership was meant to facilitate a “Week of Actions” (March 21 – 27, 2010) to highlight the importance of this year’s G8 in achieving past promises on Universal Access. However, the week now will serve as a “kick-off” for global activities and has been re-branded as the “Days of Action” leading up to the G8 Development Ministers meeting in Halifax, Canada scheduled April 27-29, 2010.

Since the Canadian and African unions issued their call to action the Global Union Aids Programme (GUAP) has chimed in to invite its network to join, making the campaign a truly global effort. The International Trade Unions Confederation (ITUC) has further invigorated the campaign by asking their members throughout the world to also contact their Canadian Embassies.

The early explosion of activity surrounding the campaign has left the organizers pleasantly surprised. Next week unions and Civil Society groups in Canada are set to add their voices by announcing initiatives of their own, including an online petition and website.

UNAIDS & WHO give impetus to the Campaign

Coordinators are also excited by the recent announcements made by UNIAIDS and the World Health Organizations (WHO). UNAIDS Executive Michel Sidibé has called on the Canadian Prime Minister to ensure that the G8 delivers on its commitment to Universal Access. “As the host [of this year’s G8 Summit]. Prime Minister Stephen Harper can set a bold agenda for the summit”, Sidibé said. See:
http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Resources/FeatureStories/archive/2010/20100228_Vancouver.asp

In an email to the CLC, a representative from the WHO offered support and said the UN body would soon release a report demonstrating that improvements in the working conditions for health care workers is essential for universal access to HIV-AIDS prevention, treatment and care to be realized.

Unions in the Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, France, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania & Togo have already contacted Canadain Embassy

A sign that the campaign is striking positive resonance with the rank and file is that already unions in the Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, France, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Togo have already sent or delivered a letter to their Canadian embassy – before the actual launch of the campaign! Unions from Europe, Latin America and other continents have already pledged that, they too, will communicate with the Canadian Embassy in their country.

African trade unions encouraged by early support

Earlier this week ITUC-Africa affiliates from 15 countries, along with local media, met in Accra, Ghana to plan their actual meetings with the Embassies. They will meet Canadian Ambassadors and officials in the various countries and hold follow up news conferences.

CLC/ITUC-Africa Workshop

At the meeting General Secretary of the ITUC-Africa, Mr. Kwasi Adu-Amankwah stated that union partners took seriously the commitment made by the G8 in the 2005 when it committed to Universal Access to treatment, care and support. “We are all aware that the G8 countries have not delivered on their commitment and it is our responsibility to demand that they honour their commitment.”

For information on this campaign and to send your own letter to the Canadian Embassy in your country, please see our Information Backgrounder in the following languages:

English: http://documents.clc-ctc.ca/international/HIV-G8-Backgrounder-EN.pdf
Français: http://documents.clc-ctc.ca/international/HIV-G8-Backgrounder-FR.pdf
Español: http://documents.clc-ctc.ca/international/HIV-G8-Backgrounder-SP.pdf

For more information contact

For Global Coordination: Ms. Zuzanna Gorska (zuzanna.gorska@ituc-csi.org), Global Union AIDS Programme (GUAP)

For Global and Regional Coordination: Ms. Jennifer Slawich (jslawich@clc-ctc.ca), HIV/AIDS Campaign Coordinator – Canadian Labour Congress and/or Mr. Lucien Royer (lroyer@clc-ctc.ca), Director, International Department – Canadian Labour Congress

For African Coordination: Mr. Yahya Msangi (yahya.msangi@ituc-africa.ca), ITUC Africa in Togo and/or Mr. David Onyalo (donyalo@clc-ctc.ca), National Representative for Africa – Canadian Labour Congress

News: March 22, 2010:
G8/G20 Universal Access Campaign on AIDS

For more information contact

For Global Coordination: Ms. Zuzanna Gorska (zuzanna.gorska@ituc-csi.org), Global Union AIDS Programme (GUAP)

For Global and Regional Coordination: Ms. Jennifer Slawich (jslawich@clc-ctc.ca), HIV/AIDS Campaign Coordinator – Canadian Labour Congress and/or Mr. Lucien Royer (lroyer@clc-ctc.ca), Director, International Department – Canadian Labour Congress

For African Coordination: Mr. Yahya Msangi (yahya.msangi@ituc-africa.ca), ITUC Africa in Togo and/or Mr. David Onyalo (donyalo@clc-ctc.ca), National Representative for Africa – Canadian Labour Congress

For the campaign Information Backgrounder see:
English: http://documents.clc-ctc.ca/international/HIV-G8-Backgrounder-EN.pdf
Français: http://documents.clc-ctc.ca/international/HIV-G8-Backgrounder-FR.pdf
Español: http://documents.clc-ctc.ca/international/HIV-G8-Backgrounder-SP.pdf

March 22, 2010

The three trade union centres in South Africa, along with their faith-based & civil society counterparts, have confirmed a meeting with the Canadian Embassy in Pretoria this Wednesday March 24 to discuss the G8/G20 Summits in Canada and Universal Access issues related to HIV and AIDS.

Representing over 3 million workers, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) and the National Council of Unions (NACTU) will meet with Canadian embassy officials. They will be joined by representatives of a multi-faith civil society network, along with the World AIDS Campaign (WAC).

They will call for G8/G20 action on Universal Access for HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support and will highlight the importance of the ILO Decent Work agenda and its Global Jobs Pact.

The meeting in Pretoria coincides with other Canadian Embassy meetings in at least 10 other African countries – all to kick-off the “Days of Action” campaign (March 21 – April 28, 2010) in advance of the G8 Development Ministers meet in Halifax, Canada April 26-28, 2010.

South Africa has one of the highest number of infections in the world. In 2007, an estimated 5.7 million adults were living with HIV (i.e., 18% prevalence rate among adults, aged 15-49). Although surveys show that infection rates are beginning to decline among certain populations, women remain disproportionately affected, accounting for close to 60% of the total number of infections in South Africa

Unions want their national governments to speak up too

In a recent development, unions involved in the Universal Access campaign are beginning to ask their national governments to take up the mantle on the issue. Mody Guiro of the La Nationale Des Travailleurs Du called on the Government of Senegal to inform the Canadian Prime Minister of the importance it places on Universal Access issues. Sénégal could become a model to other countries in delivering a “loud and clear message from African communities”, he said.

The four trade union centres have written a joint letter, requesting a meeting with their national government, and today, they and other unions in Ghana, Nigeria, Sénégal and Togo have confirmed requesting a meeting with their Canadian embassy.

The Universal Access campaign is derived from a two-year partnership between the Africa regional component of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) and the Canadian Labour Congress.