The South African Transport and Allied Workers' Union on Monday called on its members to go for HIV/Aids testing as people throughout the country marked World Aids Day with 15 minute work stoppages.

"The results, whilst confidential, will help all of us to take the necessary steps to contribute to the fight and, more importantly to make decisive interventions to ensure those of us infected and affected can still enjoy quality of life," Satawu general secretary Randall Howard said in a statement.

Howard said he had been counselled and tested last week in an attempt to provide "concrete leadership".

He was prepared to make his results known publicly so that members could take courage and "perhaps consider challenging themselves directly" he said. There was still "a huge challenge in talking about the HIV/Aids, let alone being able to acknowledge that we are infected or affected".

Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) president Sdumo Dlamini would carry out a public HIV/Aids test with Anglo Coal senior management in Witbank, the company said in a statement.

"Important gains have been made in the fight against the HIV pandemic, but it still remains one of the greatest threats to health in human history," said Anglo American chairman and chair of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/Aids, Sir Mark Moody-Stuart.

"It has taken a major toll on lives in Africa, but it poses a growing threat in other countries. We are committed not only to addressing the epidemic amongst our workforce, but also increasingly amongst dependants and affected communities," he said.

The ANC Youth League urged all South Africans, particularly the youth, to avoid risky sexual behaviour by abstaining, being faithful and using condoms.

It called for increased condom distribution, particularly in townships, informal settlements and rural areas; increased treatment and care of the infected; and better regulation of the trade and consumption of alcohol.

"Young children continue to have access to alcohol, without effective enforcement of alcohol regulation laws," spokesman Floyd Shivambu said in a statement.

The UDM called on the government to print a simple and concise
HIV/Aids information sheet for distribution to households, schools, workplaces and churches.

In a statement, UDM president Bantu Holomisa said this would ensure "we lay to rest all the myths and stop the contradictory messages that have been festering for years due to incompetent political management".

The UDM believed it long overdue for South Africans to consider the response models which had worked in countries such as Uganda and Brazil.

"The success stories of other nations in the fight against this pandemic amply demonstrate that co-ordinated society-wide participation in the campaign is the difference between life and death."

Increased public awareness campaigns, advertising and community meetings on HIV/Aids were also needed, he added.

ACDP health and education spokeswoman Cheryllyn Dudley appealed to Health Minister Barbara Hogan to use HIV/Aids funds to boost interventions where the fight had been most successful, particularly campaigns focusing on abstinence before marriage and faithfulness in marriage.
The Federation of Unions of South Africa said if South Africans were to curb the further spread of the virus, they should observe the call of the South African National Aids Council to be ready, not only as a country, but as a community and as a workforce.

"Fedusa believes that as we observe both World Aids Day and the 16 Days against gender violence, the time has come for the world to sit up and take note of the essential links between violence and HIV and Aids," said general secretary Dennis George.

It was their fear of this violence which prevented many women from accessing HIV information, from getting tested and seeking treatment.

"If we want to get ahead of the epidemic we must put women at the heart of the Aids response," he said.