News update as of June 20, 2019

ILO/Agreement on a draft international convention for the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work. Negotiators (representatives from government, unions, and employers’ organizations) have come to a compromise on a draft international convention on violence and harassment in the world of work, as well as on associated recommendations to the member States. Both texts will be presented during the 21 June plenary session of the International Labour Conference currently underway in Geneva. The texts are based on initial discussions that took place at the ILC conference in May 2018 ((c.f. article No. 10811) and they aim to eliminate all forms of violence and harassment in the world of work. In an interview with Planet Labor on 10 June, ILO Director General Guy Ryder (c.f. article No. 11169) emphasized that this convention would demonstrate how ‘global level tripartism is able to ‘tackle a major problem of today, respond to the hopes of men and women at work, and offer our constituents a modern normative framework to combat this phenomenon.’ The Convention would oblige the ratifying States to equip themselves with the appropriate judicial means to prohibit and sanction violence and harassment at work. In particular they must require employers adopt, after consultation with employees and their representatives, a policy addressing all forms of violence and harassment. Planet Labor will report on both texts when they are officially published but those who cannot wait can read the drafts here.