Senate concurs with ratification of ILO Convention 190

The Senate on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution concurring with the ratification of the International Labor Organization Convention 190 or the pact concerning the elimination of violence and harassment in workplaces.

Twenty senators voted in favor of the approval of Senate Resolution 877 which was sponsored last week by Senate Committee on Foreign Relations chairperson Sen. Imee Marcos.

In sponsoring the resolution, Marcos said ILO Convention 190 was the first treaty to recognize the fundamental right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment.

This provides the first internationally agreed single definition of violence and harassment at work, defining it as a range of unacceptable behaviors and practices that ‘aim at, result in, or are likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm, and includes gender-based violence and harassment, according to Marcos.

The ILO Convention covers not only workplaces but also work-related trips, employer-provided accommodation, virtual work, and commuting to and from work.

It will also protect regular or contractual employees in the public or private sector, interns, volunteers, trainees, and job applicants.

This convention is expected to benefit overseas Filipino workers who have limited knowledge of how to seek accountability against those who harass them at work.

The Senate resolution which was adopted also urged member-states to implement and monitor workplace policies that specify the rights and responsibilities of the workers and the employers, contain information on complaint and investigation procedures, and include measures to protect complainants, victims, and witnesses against retaliation. 

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. earlier endorsed the ratification of ILO Convention 190 to the Senate in his referral letter dated October 13, 2023.

ILO Convention 190 entered into force on June 25, 2021, and has been ratified by six countries, namely Argentina, Ecuador, Fiji, Namibia, Somalia, and Uruguay.

The Department of Migrant Workers earlier urged the Senate to concur with the ratification of the ILO Convention 190.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/pinoyabroad/dispatch/889906/senate-urged-to-ratify-ilo-convention-190-to-protect-ofws/story