Nigeria: Bias Against HIV Positive Workers is Illegal - Minister

Source from:  Daily Trust (Abuja) 25 September 2007 09/26/2007

The minister of labour, Dr. Hassan Muhammad Lawal, yesterday warned employers of labour in the country to stop discriminating against workers who have tested HIV positive, saying that government will not tolerate such attitude. Speaking at the Africa/Middle East Regional HIV/AIDS and Wellness Conference organised by the British American Tobacco (BAT) in Abuja yesterday, Dr. Lawal said such discrimination is illegal. He said stigmatisation and discrimination against workers on the basis of their HIV status is against fundamental principles and rights at work. He said workers who are HIV positive are still productive and should be allowed to contribute their quota in the socio-economic development of the country without any hindrance. Dr. Lawal also emphasised the need for employers to involve workers at every stage of implementation of programmes, saying that social dialogue is one of the pillars of a successful HIV/AIDS programming and policy implementation. Enditem