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During the upcoming International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers on 28th April, the Global Unions AIDS Programme calls for trade unions worldwide to lobby the G8 countries for sustained action on HIV/AIDS.

‘Good Occupational Health for All Workers’ is the theme for International Commemoration Day 2008, and the Global Unions are centring the early part of their advocacy campaign around the day to highlight the crucial role of HIV/AIDS strategies in occupational health. Fred van Leeuwen, General Secretary of Education International and Chair of the Council of Global Unions, highlighted its importance "Trade unionists worldwide are determined to join forces to help defeat the scourge of HIV/AIDS. We see its devastation in our schools, our workplaces and our communities everywhere, and we care about those living with the disease as well as those orphaned by it".

Chief among the lobbying activities taking place in the run up to the G8 summit, to be hosted from 7-9 July in Japan, is large-scale letter-writing to Japanese embassies. By petitioning Japanese embassies the Global Unions seek to capitalise on progress last year when the German G8 Presidency, in response to union lobbying, undertook the first review of G8 work in the field of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

The Global Unions AIDS Programme hopes strong campaigning this year will result in routine reporting and the establishment of a ‘G8 AIDS mechanism’. "Good progress has been made, but much remains to be done. We believe that the G8 can make a more positive contribution through annual reporting on HIV/AIDS. We need a mechanism within the G8 to turn our concerns into coordinated action", van Leeuwen said.

Unions in non-OECD countries are requested to lobby their Japanese embassies. Actions can include simply sending the standard letter(also link below) or can extend to sending a customised letter, organising a delegation to deliver the letter publicly or holding a small rally on 28th April to highlight the profile of HIV/AIDS in trade union policies.

Unions in Cameroon are planning a rally to deliver the letter to the Japanese embassy in the capital Yaoundé and are hoping that unions across Africa will follow suit. Jean-Marie Ndi, of the Cameroon Confederation of Independent Unions explains the rationale, “we would like the Japanese embassies to convey to their government our strong support for the international trade union movement position on occupational and public health and HIV/AIDS, as these have a direct impact on development – particularly in Africa.”

The activity forms part of the broader aim of the Global Unions to make trade union views heard on a range of global issues in the run-up to the G8 meeting in 2008. The G8 comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.