UNICOMER signs onto HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy
Belize has the third highest rate of infection of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean and despite continued public education, the news is that the number of cases continues to escalate. Stigma and discrimination in the workplace have been identified as the major obstacles in the fight against the illness. One initiative that has come on stream to tackle these issues is the HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy which is now adopted by various businesses to protect employees. Earlier this month, nine of the fourteen companies involved in the program officially signed their policies. They were joined today by Unicomer Belize Limited, which includes Courts Belize Limited and Tropigas. The company has been working toward today’s signing since February of this year and with a staff of over two hundred in branches countrywide, Unicomer is the largest organization to establish an HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy. We got more details at this morning’s signing.
Gina Gainford, Training Coordinator, Unicomer Belize Ltd.
“Since we did the first workshop back in February, we’ve been doing training sessions throughout the branches on the actual education that we’ve been having ourselves so far on the policy and also on fear and stigma discrimination and we’ve been sending out our peer educators, along with myself and PASMO to the different branches and educating our employees on the policy and obviously on some of the stuff that took place in the workshops. If they do present themselves and tell us that they are infected with HIV/AIDS, it gives them some leeway in regards to if they need to go and visit the doctor, if they need some time off because of the sickness that comes along with it. There’s leeway there that helps them to revive themselves back to come back to work. “
Keith Slater, Managing Director, Unicomer
” It basically, is an awareness program for us. I think, as a group, Unicomer and the region has been working to develop an HIV/AIDS Policy internally. We actually have that policy and the one we signed here today is a slight adoption of that, so we’re a little bit ahead of the game. But we’re very pleased that we’ve been able to get to this stage.”
Rodel Beltran Perrera, Executive Dir., Alliance Against AIDS
”We’re gonna see much more persons on board in responding to HIV and AIDS, but specific to alleviating one of our major problems, which is stigma and discrimination. And if we’re saying that the work place is the—persons that are employed are persons that are high at risk and are getting infected, according to our epidemiological data, is that if we go to where that center is and put in these policies then we’re going to see better treatment of employees and we’re going to see better treatment of people living with HIV.”
Keith Slater
”I believe what we’re trying to say to them is that this is how it really is, this is what we propose to do going forward, education is the greatest tool you have; be aware, get tested. “
According to both Gainford and Slater, the size of their staff was no obstacle in getting the policy in place.
