Government of Canada Contributes $150,000 for Workplace AIDS Project

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - Aug. 11, 2006) - The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Labour and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, today announced that the Government of Canada contributed $150,000 to a Canadian Labour Congress AIDS workplace initiative.

The funding is helping the CLC develop workplace strategies to protect the rights of workers while ensuring healthy work environments in Canada and abroad.

"Given the tremendous human, social and economic cost of HIV/AIDS, it is imperative we all work together to find ways to deal with this epidemic," said Minister Blackburn.

"The workplace is ideal to make a difference and to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS."

On today's release of the CLC report, Labour Fights AIDS, the Minister said, "The report makes clear, workplaces can play a vital role in dealing with these challenges, in educating the workforce in their understanding of the disease and in finding ways of prevention."

The funding provided by the Labour Program, Human Resources and Social Development Canada and the Canadian International Development Agency supports the organization of the international Labour Forum on AIDS that is taking place in Toronto from August 11 -13, 2006, research, the development of a Web site, and a final report.

Minister Blackburn added, "I am particularly pleased because this initiative is a concrete result from the Joint Statement on Healthy Workplaces that I signed with my provincial and territorial counterparts last March. The Joint Statement underscores our commitment to healthy workplaces."

At their annual meeting in British Columbia, federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Labour adopted the Joint Statement.

For more information on the Ministers of Labour Joint Statement see http://news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=201919&