COMPANY SPOTLIGHT ON...

HUNTSMAN TIOXIDE

The Huntsman Tioxide HIV/AIDS Committee.

In order to measure the extent of the effect that HIV could have on its business, the HIV/AIDS committee of Huntsman Tioxide initiated a prevalence survey in 2002. They spent four months educating and encouraging staff to go for anonymous testing on the designated days. A video on HIV was made in the local community, and senior line managers took every employee through an HIV awareness course during which the video was presented. Shop stewards were consulted and a KAP (Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices) questionnaire was designed with their input. The Medical Research Council was asked to assist, and they took each team through a presentation that explained how sero-prevalence surveys work and their value to everyone. Posters were displayed around the company, informing employees of the date of the first survey session, and a survey roster was created. After all this effort, the day for testing finally rolled around. The result was:

Not one employee turned up for the session!

This was extremely disappointing for Huntsman's HIV/AIDS committee. But instead of giving up, they decided to find out what had gone wrong. On closer investigation, the company found that employees had formed certain perceptions. For example, although the company had gone to great lengths to emphasise that the testing would be anonymous, employees nevertheless believed that management were attempting to identify HIV-positive individuals and that sick employees would be replaced by healthy recruits. They also thought that the survey would only benefit the company, and not the employees taking part.

Armed with this knowledge, Huntsman went about another education programme, and this time it worked. 91% of employees participated– a remarkable figure in any company’s books – and a figure that proved that they had got it right. "There are lessons to be learnt from this", says Themba Mkhwanazi, White-End Area Manager at Huntsman. "First, HIV is a very sensitive and personal issue, and it needs to be understood in this manner. Talking openly about potential problems is critical. Also, employees trust their representatives, and these representatives must be involved in creating the solutions that people want and need. Each of us, not only managers, has a contribution to make towards the success of the survey and the HIV programme, therefore team work is important. We can be successful if we all work together."

Working together meant developing and implementing an HIV/AIDS programme that benefits all staff as well as the company itself. It has five 'arms': education, testing, counselling, medication and living positively. Huntsman believes in partnership, and so it has linked up with LifeLine and the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Medical Research Council to carry out its programme. But employees also have personal responsibility: to know their HIV status and to take care of themselves and their families by living positively and offering support to others. The diagram in the block gives a summary illustration of the activities and responsibilities involved in each area of their programme.

Click to enlarge

Four key factors have contributed to the success of and support for Huntsman’s HIV/AIDS programme:

• Leadership from the top and line driven - The managing director, Mr John Billington, and his heads of department are active members of the HIV committee in addition to other management and employee representatives.
• The company has involved all parties in development and implementation, from planning how to encourage attendance at sero-prevalence surveys to measuring the effectiveness of the programme.
• Huntsman firmly believes that HIV is not a 'his, her or their problem' but an 'our problem'. A shared challenge requires shared commitment.
• While the programme deals with the present situation, it also looks to what lies ahead. It takes into account future scenarios, activities and costs which help to drive the programme forward.

On speaking to employees who have access to this programme, they identify fear of stigma and disclosure the biggest hurdles still to be overcome by people who are HIV positive. This is one of the things that the company is going to work on during 2004.

Huntsman Tioxide proclaims their vision: 'Our legacy will be the maximum number of sustainable jobs for future generations.” Certainly in terms of their HIV/AIDS programme, this is one company that has taken a stand on HIV/AIDS and is putting the government’s strategy of Khomanani (circles of hope)into action'.

For more information about Huntsman’s HIV/AIDS programme, please contact Themba Gumede or Sister Di Mayo on (031) 910 3611.

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