ROUNDTABLE WORKSHOP ON HIV/AIDS POLICY IN THE WORKPLACE

NEDLAC - 20th June , 2002

The Forum was centered around a presentation by Dr Dickinson on "Sasol's Response to HIV/AIDS ". The room was filled to capacity with representatives from other corporations, Government bodies and other walks of life. Enough copies of the presentation were available and Dr Dickinson summarised his presentation in a very audience friendly way. The room itself was conducive to a Round table discussion and there were no hitches.

Dr Dickinson hihghlighted the positive and negative features of Sasol's corporate response to HIV/AIDS in their different sites and Divisions and Businesses. The difficulties that were experienced were similar to those of the 5 year Strategic plan from the HIV/AIDS Directorate of the DOH and other programmes. In general successful projects resulted from good cooperation within management and between management, the Unions, the Workforce and their Communities .

Special points of Interest:

• Sasol's management were concerned about being the first corporate body to expose themselves to public scrutiny but expressed delight at the outcome of the Workshop. There was general praise for their 'coming out'.
• It appeared to be accepted by corporate bodies that they had a responsibility both to their own corporation sustainability and to the Workforce, that responses to HIV/AIDS within were necessary.
• Major stumbling blocks reported by Dr Dickinson and echoed by speakers from other corporate bodies were: the lack of interaction with the communities and the unwillingness of the workforce to receive voluntary testing and counseling and the somewhat alienating outcome of some of the bottoms-up and top down approaches.
• There was some that there were apparently few if any Union representatives from the corporate bodies. However, it was noted that interaction between the Unions and the role they played in the Workforce were key issues .
• While there is a Business sector representative in SANAC, there was no such evidence at the Workshop. The overall impression obtained from the Corporate Bodies present was that there was much to be gained from the sharing of information and working together. A representative from the Directorate concerned with community development of the DOH was interested in participating in future activities. A properly functioning Business Sector in SANAC could be very helpful to a proposed consortium to promote Responses in the Workplace and vice-versa.

Recommendations

1. Nedlac should invite SANAC to give some support to ensuring corporate bodies respond appropriately. It should promote the concept and benefits thereof of intersectoral approach. Other sectors in and out of SANAC can play a key role in facilitating sustainable responses. The establishment of a Corporate Consortium could lead the way for SANAC to become a force in the country.
2. Nedlac should explore the possibility of facilitating the setting up a coordinating centre/body to promote the responses of Corporations and Businesses to HIV/AIDS. Such a process would have to be seen to be independent and have the appropriate expertise to be effective. To this end a proposal was offered by the Nedlac Communy representative (Fadila) who participated in the meeting.
3. Nedlac, Liesl Kostlich PR from SASOL and Dr David Dickinson should be congratulated on an excellent and timely Workshop. It would be a wasted opportunity not to capitalise on it and sustain the momentum.

Johnny Sachs - Chairperson.
24th-06-2002