The International Labor Organization (ILO) ratified a non-binding measure on 18 June designed to provide workplace protection for workers infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
The measure was approved by a resounding majority of the ILO’s voting members–which consist of government, employers and workers representatives–during the organization’s annual conference in Geneva. The ILO then sent copies of the ratified measure to member states, including Egypt.
Egyptian Labor Syndicate Secretary-General Ibrahim el-Azhari, who represented the Egyptian labor delegation at the Geneva conference, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that, “Egypt requested that the protection afforded by the measure also be extended to employers and explicitly cover both genders,” adding that Egypt had expressed hope that “an oversight process would be put in place to ensure compliance.”
However, el-Azhari went on to state that Egypt had some reservations about the measure due to the fact that Islam “prohibits fornication,” noting that “fornication was one of the most important factors behind the spread of the HIV virus.” He said that he feared that knowledge of the protection provided to HIV-positive workers would lead to the spread of “immoral habits,” but added that extending such protection to “all workers” was a necessity.
The measure is considered the first to explicitly focus on HIV in the workplace. It aims to eliminate workplace discrimination against HIV-positive individuals and reduce the stigma such individuals face in their places of work.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
