Behind successful program

You initiated a program to reduce the spreading of HIV/aids at SKF in South Africa at the millennium. What was it all about?

“People died. More and more frequently the local general managers of Swedish companies in South Africa participated in funerals. The speed with which HIV was spreading was significant. And there was no cure at the time. In fact, no one really knew what HIV was and how it spread. This caused a big trauma to people who thought they were infected; they did not dare to tell anyone because of their own fear, other people’s reactions, and because of believing they might be fired.”

“From the Swedish companies’ perspective, the workforce was being reduced. We had to convince employees that if they were sick, they must tell us. And we, the company, would provide help. The goal was to get them back to work.”

And the International Council of Swedish Industry (NIR)?

“NIR was there all the time.”

“During the apartheid, long before the HIV/aids pandemic, the Swedish government wanted companies to leave South Africa, but the companies did not, nor did the employees. NIR began by looking to build local relations and by convincing that Swedish companies should stay. They explained that businesses could contribute significantly to development, for example by providing education. In fact, the Swedish companies simply had to provide more education to the black population, this had not been done during the apartheid.”

“The establishment of unions were forbidden at the time when NIR worked on this mission, however, it was a must to create relations between the parties that could not talk.”

“At SKF we established a funeral organization instead of a union. This way we could collect money and use the fund for the same purpose as if there was one. Thanks to this, when HIV came, we already had an established way of communicating between management and employees. Trust was established. We could talk between ourselves, and we could talk with the spouses. That meant that we could support our people and the families much faster.”

SWHAP was formally established in Johannesburg in 2004 as NIRs first program, with Lars G Malmer as Chair. He mentions names like G?ran Johnsson, Mats Svensson and Birgitta Birgersson-Brorsson, Anders Ferbe, all from the Swedish Metal Workers Union, who during different periods were active in the board.

“But there were two persons that really did the basic job to enable SWHAP and that was Bengt Jacobsson, International secretary of Svenska Metall, and ?ke Magnusson, head of NIR.”

“We established annual meetings with companies that were part of the program, each of these represented with both a manager and a union leader. In the beginning it was only South African companies but soon the SWHAP program spread to neighboring countries such as Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya and even to the DRC.”

“At these meetings we shared knowledge on different themes. One crucial learning was that management must be involved for a successful program and they must be the first to be tested.”

“Atlas Copco South Africa had a very solid program with Wendy Buffa-Pace as a keen driver. As an example, they offered annual testing, provided training, and established a target that no one who had been tested negative should later be tested positive. And those who were tested positive received consultation and medication, including family. All on a voluntary basis.”

“We also ran a competition between the companies where the winner went to Stockholm, Sweden, to share their story with members of NIR and other interested parties. Saab once won and could share that thanks to a thorough program with great health results they had also managed to reduce the company’s health insurance cost.”

“Tom Johnstone, President and CEO of SKF, and Anders Ferbe, Union Chairman for the Metal Workers Union, showed great interest in the program. One year they participated, both to listen, learn and to give their view and support. If it hadn’t happened before, this showed that the commitment was for real.”

“When we celebrated 10 years, we concluded that we had initiated programs in ten countries, reached more than 27.000 employees in 292 different workplaces and another 20.000 people if we include the families and the societies where we operated.”

After 14 years the program terminated. What was the outcome?

A sustainable value chain with a healthy workforce and a continued dialogue between the parties in the workplace built on trust.

Lars G Malmer was SVP and member of the executive management team of SKF, a Swedish bearing and seal manufacturing company, for 22 years. During these years the Swedish Workplace HIV/Aids Program (SWHAP) was successfully implemented in SKF and many other Swedish companies with operations in Sub-Saharan countries.

The SWHAP program initiated in 2002 continued for 14 years. The program resulted in increased awareness, a healthier workforce, and consequently also lower operating costs. The program was financed by SIDA, Swedish International Development Cooperation Aid.

The companies did the job together with the unions.

The SWHAP program laid ground for the current Swedish Workplace Program (SWP) run by NIR with Program Director Alessandra Cornale in the lead in Kenya, South Africa, Colombia, and Vietnam. The model is the same, building on dialogue between the partners in the workplace. The main players in the program are, besides NIR, businesses, unions and governmental organizations in the countries concerned. Also this program is financed by SIDA.

International Council of Swedish Industry (NIR) ?ke Magnusson Alessandra Cornale 斯凯孚 Lars G Malmer Tom Johnstone IF Metall Bengt Jacobsson G?ran Johnsson, Mats Nilsson Birgitta Birgersson , anders ferbe 阿特拉斯·科普柯 Wendy Buffa-Pace