Employers should not test employees specifically for HIV/AIDS, according to Minister of Health Horace Dalley.

The Health Minister was responding to recent suggestions from the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF) that employers reserve the right to test workers for the virus.

"Any employer can insist that their workforce each year does a medical, but no employer should pick out that test (HIV) and say each of you (employees) must be subject to an HIV test," Mr. Dalley said yesterday during a tour of the Jamaica Aids Support for Life (JASL) in New Kingston.

Mr. Dalley said that, in his previous capacity as Labour Minister, several discussions were held on the matter and the policy was that persons are not to be tested to see if they are HIV-positive before they are hired and that no employee should be fired on the same premise.