Chandigarh: HIV tests compulsory for Punjab transport workers

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HIV tests compulsory for Punjab transport workers

Chitleen K Sethi. Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 25

The Punjab government has asked truck and taxi owners in the state to

ensure that their drivers and other employees undergo tests for HIV at

least once a year.

Amending the Punjab Motor Transport Workers Rules, 1963, the

government has added a clause making it compulsory for all transport

workers to undergo the tests at civil hospitals. The new rules also

state that in case a worker is found to be HIV positive, the employer

would ensure his free treatment.

Issuing a notification in this regard, the department of labour,

Punjab, said it had invited objections to the amendment before

finalising it. " We have not received any objection to the rules and

these would come into force from the date of the notification, " said

Raminder Singh, state's labour commissioner.

Though the amendment is timely with the National AIDS Control

Programme-III focusing on reducing the risk of HIV among truckers, the

State AIDS Control Society is likely to raise objections to it. The

society follows the guidelines of the National AIDS Policy which do

not allow compulsory testing.

" No one can be tested compulsorily for AIDS except those falling in

certain pre-listed categories and truckers do not fall in those

categories, " said Dr N.M Sharma, additional project director, Punjab

State AIDS Control Society. Truck unions would object to the state

government's move, he added.

The labour commissioner, however, pointed out that the Maharashtra

government had already amended its rules to include the clause. " We

have been keeping track of what other states have been doing in this

regard and this amendment is urgently needed in Punjab, " he said. The

draft rules were made public in September and a period of six weeks

was given, but no objections were received.

Punjab has a flourishing transport business and truck unions run

almost a parallel economy. According to the National AIDS Control

Programme-III, nearly 36 per cent of the truckers visit sex workers.

" Truckers represent a key sub-segment of the total male client

population. Because long-distance truckers move throughout the

country, those who are at a higher risk of HIV can form transmission

bridges from the higher to the lower prevalence areas, " states the

programme.

In order to ensure compliance, the labour department will depute a

special inspector to ensure that the truck and taxi owners have got

their workers tested for HIV. " The employer will have to produce a

certificate by December 31 every year clarifying the status.We have

added a penalty clause in the rules which will come into force in case

there is non-compliance, " said Raminder Singh.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20081026/main2.htm