The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) joins the people of the world on World AIDS day, 1 December 2009, in recommitting ourselves to the fight to drive back the devastating HIV/Aids pandemic, which continues to sweep through the country, claiming thousands of lives.

We bow our heads in memory of all the people who have died due to AIDS and related HIV infections like TB. We also need to give strength to all people living with HIV, and make a commitment to give them support and justice.

The federation is greatly encouraged by the spirit of unity between government and civil society around the issue. The new government is intent on turning the tide on HIV and we particularly welcome the President's decision to have himself tested on World's Aids Day.

COSATU also applauds the new Minster of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, on the progress he has made to date, and his rejection of any trace of denialism. When he addressed COSATU's Central Executive Committee on 23-24 November 2009 he confirmed that the level of HIV/Aids is a national emergency, with infections at 23 times the global average.

HIV/Aids and the TB, which is the main cause of death amongst HIV+ people, is a far bigger cause of death than violent crime of road accidents yet attracts far less media attention.

The CEC demonstrated its commitment to the campaign for voluntary testing by opening a wellness centre, at which CEC members, led by the COSATU Office Bearers, were tested for HIV and other health matters.

We would like to all encourage workers, shop stewards and leaders in the labour movement to join the campaign on voluntary HIV counselling and testing on 1 December.

The CEC pledged its full support for the SANAC campaign to reduce the rate of infections by 50% and get ARV treatment to 80% of those who need it. We welcome the Global Fund's approval of funding for South Africa of $108 974 360 million, an indication that the resource mobilisation committee through the minister's leadership understands that as a country facing a high rate of HIV infection we need all the resources we can get.

COSATU are very concerned however that strategies and mechanisms to deal with the deepening HIV and AIDS crisis are still not sufficient to tackle the challenges we face. SANAC is providing the leadership we expected when it was restructured in 2007. It has begun to make progress in the last few months to achieve its work in line with the HIV National Strategic Plan (NSP) 2007-2011. But it has only another 18 months to be implemented and we are worried about progress in meeting its targets.

SANAC has appointed a fulltime senior management team, with Dr. Nono Simelela as CEO. Its secretariat is also being re-constituted at the Development Bank of Southern Africa. These steps will go a long way to giving SANAC the ability to coordinate and oversee the national response to HIV and AIDS. As we have noted above, however, a lot of work still has to be done.

Dealing with HIV in the workplace is one of the key issues of the decent work agenda, but there is a growing number of workers employed on a casual basis or by contractors who are less likely to benefit from anti-HIV workplace initiatives, because these mostly only target permanent workers.

During the 17th International AIDS conference in Mexico City, in August 2008, 40 trade unionists from 20 countries representing the International Trade Union Confederation and the Global Union Federations emphasized the role of workplace-based action in combating HIV/AIDS.

The world of work emerged as a major theme at the conference, which highlighted the impact of AIDS on the productive population of some of the world's most vulnerable economies, as well as the need for successful mobilisation of the workplace as an entry point for AIDS responses. 2010 is the deadline for universal access to treatment set by world leaders; the question is whether South Africa going to be able to do that.

Let us all use 1 December 2009 as the day when we pledge as a nation that this is a battle we absolutely cannot afford to lose.