Global unions commemorate ILO C190 coming into force by launching toolkit to address violence and harassment in the world of work

IndustriALL, 2021

As the International Labour Organization Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work comes into force on 25 June 2021, global unions are launching a toolkit to support the Convention 190 (C190) and its Recommendation 206 (R206). The manual will provide thousands of unions around the world with critical tools for the fight to eradicate violence and harassment in the world of work.

Affecting millions of workers globally, physical assault, bullying, sexual harassment, online abuse, economic violence and abusive work practices are the most widespread forms of violence in the world of work.

Covid-19 outbreak reports show that all types of violence against women and girls have intensified in the past year, making women workers especially vulnerable. A lack of policies and employers’ support to respond to and prevent this violence have led many women to develop anxiety and mental illness or resulted in decreased job
performance and impacted women’s revenue.

The toolkit aims to provide unions with tools to develop workplace solutions that tackle violence and harassment, with a special focus on gender-based violence and harassment, and ensure that violence is no longer considered as “part of the job”.

Domestic violence, while taking place outside the workplace, can also have significant physiological and physical implications on abused workers. Moreover, intersecting discrimination creates another layer of inequality that increases the risk of violence and harassment.

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The toolkit is comprised of a facilitators’ guide and an activities workbook. Its aim is to:

• Encourage discussion about violence and harassment and gender-based violence in the world of work
• Raise awareness about Convention 190, its accompanying Recommendation R206 and its significance for workers – particularly women workers
• Encourage unions across the world to campaign for the ratification of Convention 190 and its effective implementation in line with Recommendation 206
• Encourage unions to use these instruments to integrate Convention 190 into the union bargaining agenda
• Build stronger unions to enable workers to assert their rights to a world of work free from violence and harassment