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.December 03, 2003
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This Week:

• Aston Martin DB9 Volante

• Cooking With Style: Buick Teams With Renowned Chef Ming Tsai For Rainier Recipes

• DaimlerChrysler continues global fight against HIV/AIDS

• Nissan Europe Appoints New Senior Vice President

• BMW Launches Unprecedented On-Line Game Starring New X3

• Banque PSA Finance opens office in China

• Magna in discussions with DaimlerChrysler regarding New Venture Gear

• Chrysler Group Announces New Controller - Donlon to Retire; Olsen from DaimlerChrysler Services Named

• Ford Names Michael J. McCarney As New Asean President

• Volkswagen intensifies collaboration with FAW in China

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DaimlerChrysler continues global fight against HIV/AIDS
 

Workplace program in South Africa functions as model Prof. Schrempp: "In the fight against HIV/AIDS, all sectors in society need to work together" Stuttgart/Auburn Hills/Pretoria - "No single institution can win the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic by itself. All sectors, including business, NGOs and civil society need to work together." This is the message of DaimlerChrysler CEO Prof. Jürgen E. Schrempp in his function as Chairman of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC) on the occasion of World AIDS Day on December 1. Since December 2000, DaimlerChrysler has successfully developed and introduced a comprehensive workplace program to combat HIV/AIDS at its South African company, in cooperation with the German development agency Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ). The program has received major attention internationally and is considered exemplary worldwide.

The workplace program offers all employees and their families extensive support to combat HIV/AIDS. Information, prevention, voluntary testing and medical care are among the services the company provides to meet its social and economic responsibilities. Sick leave, replacements for those unable to work, high expenses for training and education as well as health insurance characterize the economic results of HIV/AIDS, in addition to the individual human tragedy of each and every case.

The Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) with GTZ secured important core competences in the development and start-up phase. The implementation of the program is largely based on "peer education," specially trained staff who contribute greatly to the acceptance of the program and assist in overcoming the taboos and stigmatization of those affected. The cooperation with the South African automobile workers union NUMSA also proved to be a success factor.

In the three-year start-up phase, a solid foundation was laid at DaimlerChrysler's companies in South Africa for a sustainable workplace program with emphasis on prevention, treatment, care and support. The company's offer for voluntary HIV tests is finding increasing acceptance, and the utilization of medical services is also rising. This has already lead to a significant decline in sick leave, long-term incapacity to work and death as a result of HIV/AIDS infections. The continuation of the workplace program is intended to reinforce this success. Future work will be centered around expanding the program to suppliers, and supporting employees' families, as well as fostering a meaningful community outreach. In doing so, DaimlerChrysler will continue to fulfil its role as a forerunner in the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

From 2004, DaimlerChrysler South Africa will continue the program under its own control and also develop it further, beyond the gates of the plant. In so doing, the focus is on cooperation with the communities in the vicinity of the production sites, in particular with hospitals, schools and social institutions.

As a member of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, DaimlerChrysler has committed itself to share its knowledge and expertise. The GBC serves as a platform for the exchange of "best practice" between and beyond companies. It is also planned to increasingly involve small and medium-sized enterprises.

As Chairman of the GBC, DaimlerChrysler CEO Prof. Schrempp clearly stated: "We need to involve more companies in the fight against HIV/AIDS and have to prepare for the dreadful consequences of the pandemic that are starting to show worldwide."

In its own company, DaimlerChrysler will now increasingly make the knowledge gained in South Africa accessible to its companies in other countries. Parts of the successful workplace program are to be adopted at other locations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Russia and tailored to the relevant requirements. In developed markets such as Germany, stronger provision of information in the area of vocational training is more important.

(Nov 28, 2003)