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Medical tests on about 3 000 former Ramatex workers who stuck with the company until it folded this year confirm at least 46 cases in which working conditions at the textile factory resulted in significant health problems...While individual results remain confidential, workers and union and medical sources involved said yesterday that the most common problems were eye, ear and lung infections...[B]ut Dr Pieter Pretorius, who played a key role in the examinations, said yesterday that many of these conditions could not be exclusively linked to the workers' role at Ramatex.
Author:Vanessa O'Connell, Wall Street Journal Dated:07 Jul 2008
When Gareth Penny became De Beers Group's chief executive in 2006, the world's biggest diamond producer was mired in some of the worst crises… Rapper Kanye West's "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" in 2005 and the movie "Blood Diamond" in 2006 were triggering a wave of negative publicity about buying "conflict diamonds"... De Beers had already worked with the United Nations, governments, and human-rights groups to introduce the Kimberley Process...but the company was vulnerable to a consumer backlash nonetheless. On its home turf in South Africa, De Beers was criticized for not pushing hard enough for black participation... Today…The company…has a new business model and is trying to polish its image. And Mr. Penny now casts himself as an unofficial ambassador for Africa who can help bring businesses and jobs to the continent... [He says,] "We have also completed a major black-empowerment deal so that 26% of our South African company is in the hands of a black investment vehicle... We are looking for ways in which to create opportunities for other businesses -- emerging businesses -- in Africa."
Author:Desie Heita, New Era [Namibia] Dated:12 May 2008
A recent study has revealed that a number of companies…are…in denial about HIV/AIDS...the report, 'Business Decision Makers' Survey on HIV and AIDS: The Boardroom Speaks'…was compiled by PricewaterhouseCoopers, who conducted a survey among business leaders in Namibia. Companies that participated include Namibia's multinationals, national companies and parastatals. PricewaterhouseCoopers said the issue of HIV/AIDS is yet to be given the prominence it needs by the business community in Namibia…
Author:PricewaterhouseCoopers & Namibia Business Coalition on AIDS (NABCOA) Dated:May 2008
...we sought to establish how many organisations know the extent to which they are impacted by HIV and AIDS, whether they were aware of how the disease affects their operations, and whether they are actively monitoring its continued effect on their people... We further aimed to get the dialogue going around how our responses as organisations can be improved, and how our individual organisational efforts could support the wider initiatives that are currently undertaken by our Government...
The main challenges that were noted are as follows:
- Establishing the scale of the impact of HIV and AIDS...
- Implementation of Workplace programmes...
- Monitoring and Accountability...
- Denial...
The Walvis Bay Corridor HIV/Aids Help Desk published a 'Guide to the Workplace Policy' yesterday…on how to deal with the HIV/AIDS epidemic within the workplace environment to support and protect infected employees, and…prevent the…disease from spreading…It covers issues of confidentiality, testing, screening and counseling, employee benefits, and the promotion of safe working environments.
Author:Reuters video, posted on Treehugger blog Dated:21 Mar 2008
This video explains how Motorola is planning to expand its operations in Africa by using wind and solar powered cell phone base stations. These...provide the local people with means of communication that can make their lives much easier...
Author:Thato Chwaane, Mmegi [Botswana] Dated:13 Mar 2008
The Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS (BONELA) continues to advocate for an HIV employment law instead of a policy amidst allegations that some companies are testing people for HIV prior to employment…A legal officer at BONELA…said…that since they served the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs…with a petition for an enactment of the law last year, they have been told that the ministry is still working on a draft policy. "A policy…cannot change the status quo…you cannot go to court using a policy," he said...Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola have…passed laws to prevent…HIV related discrimination at the workplace.
The much-vaunted investment which promised to bring much to Namibian economic growth...has...closed its doors and the last of its formerly 8 000 labour force are now unemployed...All the concerns expressed over the years...about poor labour conditions at the [Ramatex] plant, the environmental hazards, the financial infusions of Government and the City of Windhoek...have come prophetically true.
Author:Kuvee Kangueehi, New Era [Namibia] Dated:07 Mar 2008
The Government will take legal action against Ramatex, after [it]...decided to close down its operations in Namibia at short notice. Prime Minister Nahas Angula said the textile company will not be let off the hook easily and will be expected to abide by all the procedures as stipulated in the Labour Act and Company Act of Namibia...Close to 3 000 Ramatex employees...lost their jobs instantly when the textile company decided to shut down its operations after almost a decade in Namibia.
Author:Catherine Sasman, New Era [Namibia] Dated:05 Mar 2008
The Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) says the practice of requiring a HIV-negative result for one to access life policy insurance is "patently unconstitutional". LAC Aids Unit Coordinator, Amon Ngavetene…suggested an amendment to the Short-Term Insurance Act and Long-Term Insurance Act to prohibit discrimination against people living with HIV/Aids…insurance companies should be compelled to ensure quality pre- and post-counselling when sending people for HIV tests…insurance applicants should be informed that they have options not to take the HIV test...education by the insurance companies should be a prerequisite…LAC…also requested…legal mechanisms to redress those wronged by the insurers guilty of fraud…
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